Saturday, May 2, 2009

Resume Writing Help - Resume Writing Strategies for New Graduates

As the President of Resume Solutions, I have worked extensively with new new graduates with degrees and diplomas in a myriad of fields, from Information Technology, Marketing, Business Administration, Education and Liberal Arts to engineering, mathematics, statistics, science, zoology, fisheries and environmental programs just to name a few.  Many new graduates rely on the notion that their degree or diploma major is enough to convey to a potential employer the depth of their skills and qualifications. A carefully designed resume with strategic presentation of key program elements and your personal areas of focus, will quickly demonstrate to an employer the skills you bring to the table; this in turn allows you to stand out from other candidates.


Many new graduates do not include vital details such as volunteer and work experiences on their resumes because they do not think they are important. Remember an effective resume needs to engage a new employer within 30 seconds or less.  As such, it needs to be strategically designed with powerful content and presentation. The most important resume writing strategy for new graduates is to identify and leverage the core competencies that they have gained through their work experiences, extracurricular activities, and their studies to help craft a high impact, powerful resume.


For new graduates, employers are looking for three things:


Academic results
This means that you should have chosen the right degree and completed it successfully.


Work experience
It is imperative that you have work experiences in a job that provided experience looking after customers, working in teams and developing good work habits such as punctuality and initiative.  Part-time jobs provides the  new graduate with experience handling responsibility whether  it is opening or closing the store or helping to train new employees. 
My consultations with 1000s of new graduates have demonstrated that they do not rate their work experiences they have gained unless that experience is in their specific field.  However, they are wrong. In their chosen field, employers greatly value the work that graduates have done, whether as a labourer or as a summer intern. New graduates must understand that employers value their experiences because it could provide them with referees, a potential track record of accomplishments, teamwork, problem- solving skills and people skills such as customer service.  Many new graduates undervalue the strength of these transferable skills that have built up during their work experiences. These core strengths can provide the new graduate with a distinct advantage in creating a targeted qualifications summary and keyword section for their resumes.


Extracurricular & Leadership Experiences 
Extracurricular activities can provide an employer with a sense of a person’s initiative and drive. A new grad’s hobbies, volunteer work, and personal interest are things they chose to get involved in and are not focused to do. As such, they can provide insight into a new graduate’s values, energy and interest in the world at large, such as their willingness to get involved and achieve results.  
Relying solely on a complete degree is not a smart choice for new graduates in the writing of their resumes. Remember unless you are in a highly sought-after program, there will be competing with both new graduates and experience professionals for the same positions. Therefore, well-created resume is an important tool for the new graduate career management toolbox. Forresume writing examples click here to visit the “Student/Recent Graduate” section on Resume Solutions sample resumes page. You have worked to complete your degree, now pair it with a Resume Solutions high impact resume.


Visit Resume Solutions New Graduate Site further information.


Posted by Resumesolutions at 16:31:13 | Permalink | No Comments »

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Using Cover Letters to Build Relationships

Today a client asked me to explain the differences between the resume and the cover letter. Many people assume that the cover letter is just a formality and simply something hiring managers and recruiters have come to expect. Continue reading here <li><a href=” http://www.resumesolutions.ca/art016.htm“>How Using Cover Letters to Build Relationships </a></li>
Posted by Resumesolutions at 14:44:33 | Permalink | No Comments »

How to Write a Resume

In today’s job market, the résumé - a document that provides an overview of your experience, education and skill set - is the number one request of potential employers.

Research has shown that job seekers without a top-quality résumé face long and difficult job searches, while those with polished, professionally written résumés multiply their chances of obtaining their desired positions. In the highly competitive job market, human resources managers and recruiting professionals are inundated with hundreds of résumés for a single position. <li><a href=”http://www.resumesolutions.ca”>Resume Solutions</a></li>.  research has determined that on average, an employer spends 10-30 seconds reviewing a résumé before determining whether it warrants further consideration. In such a competitive landscape it is critical that job seekers make a good first impression as a viable candidate by submitting a high impact résumé that cuts through the noise and shows your value to each employer.

 To read rest of article click here <li><a href=”http://www.resumesolutions.ca/article2.htm

 “>How to write high impact resumes</a></li>

Posted by Resumesolutions at 14:33:06 | Permalink | No Comments »

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Writing High Impact Resumes

By Surranna Sandy, CPRW, CEIP

In today’s job market, the résumé - a document that provides an overview of your experience, education and skill set - is the number one request of potential employers.

Research has shown that job seekers without a top-quality résumé face long and difficult job searches, while those with polished, professionally written résumés multiply their chances of obtaining their desired positions. In the highly competitive job market, human resources managers and recruiting professionals are inundated with hundreds of résumés for a single position. Résumé Solutions research has determined that on average, an employer spends 10-30 seconds reviewing a résumé before determining whether it warrants further consideration. In such a competitive landscape it is critical that job seekers make a good first impression as a viable candidate by submitting a high impact résumé that cuts through the noise and shows your value to each employer.
As a job seeker, your résumé and cover letter must convince a recruiter that you are the perfect candidate for the vacancy without overloading the document with irrelevant data.  In order to attract attention in the job marketplace and distinguish yourself from the competition, your résumé needs to creatively highlight your work history, achievements, education and capabilities. Many new job applicants capture their career history in the Curriculum Vitae (CV) format.. Unfortunately, the CV is only accepted for academic or research related positions and is too cumbersome for private sector jobs. Further, various components of the CV such as marital status, a photograph and other personal data is not relevant in the labour market and in fact may eliminate you as a potential candidate.
You résumé should answer the following questions:
ü What expertise do you offer a potential employer?
ü What added value you brought to your prior employers through measurable achievements?
ü What education qualifications and certifications do you bring?
ü What are you like to work with?

How do you write a high impact résumé?

Be relevant. Be concise. Be results specific. Be honest.  

A résumé that generates results should be relevant to an employer’s needs, and emphasize the qualifications that are job, field or industry specific. To illustrate, if you are seeking a role as an Accountant but also possess experience in sales, it is advisable to focus primarily on your accounting knowledge rather than highlighting your sales talents. Another important consideration is to conduct comprehensive industry research prior to applying to jobs so that you are aware of the key job-specific requirements that employers are seeking. 
To be effective, a résumé should be concise and to the point. It is critical that you do not prepare a résumé that consists of a laundry list of responsibilities for each job you have ever held or one which includes company jargon. In a document that is no longer than three pages (two is preferable), you need to convey to a prospective employer the contributions you made in each of your past roles. Do not use long-winded sentences or dated terminology. An example of what not to do: “Dear sirs, with your permission, herein is included my résumé and cover letter, in accordance with your request for someone of my esteemed talents which are in line with your organization’s long-term goals” Employers do not want to read long, cumbersome or jargon-laden sentences.  Be specific and to the point.

To generate interest from a potential employer, you need demonstrate strategically your defining career moments and business and leadership successes, while outlining measurable results.  Depending on your previous positions, this can be shown through examples of ways in which you have reduced costs, improved efficiency, solved problems or any other illustrations of how the organization benefited from your past performance.  It is recommended that you include goals you overachieved such as delivering a project ahead of schedule and below budget, improving your staff performance or helping to retain key client accounts.  

A high impact, effective résumé will:

ü Demonstrate how you will meet an employer’s needs
 ü Convey the qualifications and abilities you offer for the job you want
 ü Show results and your qualifications in action
 ü Identify your career path
 ü Be attractive to the reader through a professional format
ü Is concise and easy to read
ü Let the reader see your skills, knowledge and abilities
ü Be grammatically correct and spelling error free
As a Certified Professional Résumé Writer working with clients from diverse backgrounds and ability levels, my primary objective is to increase my client’s marketability by presenting their unique core competencies, personal talents, strengths and accomplishments in a way that engages the reader and compels them to invite my clients for an interview. However, it is critical that we are honest in the way we present our clients’ skills and as such, we never exaggerate their capabilitities and successes. You should ensure you do the same when writing your new résumé. At all times be honest and relevant with no exaggerations of any details. This may include job titles, education levels, accomplishments and abilities. 
 What is included in a professional résumé?

To be effective, it is critical that your résumé effectively links your qualifications to a specific job target. It should outline your career progression, education & training, technical and personal skills, languages spoken, professional affiliations, awards & recognition, and any community involvement.

A basic résumé layout should open with a profile or qualification summary. For examples of high impact professional summaries, you can review sample résumés at http://www.resumesolutions.ca. This profile while summarize who you are and what you have to offer to a potential employer. It should be tailored to the specific industry and job category you are seeking.
Many large and medium-size companies employ technology to gather, store and filter résumés, using keyword searches to identify qualified applicants. You can include industry keywords within the text of the summary, as a stand alone section, or incorporated throughout your résumé.
Typically, your next section should list your employment history in reverse chronological order – listing the most recent job first, followed by second most recent and so on. For each job, you should summarize your varying responsibilities and provide details on measurable results.
Your education follows the details of your employment history. When listing your education, ensure that the institution is clearly stated, the degree qualification is detailed and the year of graduation is included. Only degrees and diplomas from accredited institutes should be included. Your education section can also include any additional courses, certificates and professional development you have obtained.

Additional sections for your resume could include technical skills, affiliations and other job relevant data. Please note, you should not include religious or political affiliations and personal details such as date of birth, marital status, SIN numbers or a personal photograph.

Your success in securing high quality interviews and job offers is critically dependent on your effectiveness in conveying your qualifications and core expertise to potential employers. Before you begin to craft your résumé, I suggest that you take the time to develop an in-depth inventory of your hard and soft skills. Many job seekers find this process challenging, and for those of you having difficulty communicating your skills on paper, turning to a professional résumé writer may be the answer. Companies such as Résumé Solutions, whose Certified Professional Résumé Writers are members of Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches and the Career Management Alliance, are pledged to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, writing quality and ethical behaviour when providing guidance to job seekers.  As such, they can be an important partner in your job search strategy.

Surranna Sandy, a Certified Professional Résumé Writer and Certified Employment Interview Coach and former Human Resources Management Professional, is the Founder and President of Résumé Solutions. The company offers advanced résumé writing, career and interview coaching services for entry level, mid-career through to executive clientele in the global marketplace, and her team of client focused résumé writers and career coaches have helped thousands of job seekers meet their career goals.   
Posted by Resumesolutions at 19:16:22 | Permalink | No Comments »

Monday, November 5, 2007

Women in the Labor Force: A Databook:

* In 2006, about 59% of women were in the labor force.
* Since early 1980s, women’s and men’s unemployment rates have continued to be similar; in 2006 they were the same.
* From 1975 to 2000, the rate of working mothers with children under age of 18 rose from 47% to 73%, where it remained in 2006.
* One-third of women in the labor force had college degrees as of 2006.
* In 2006, women accounted for 50.6% of those employed in management, professional, and related occupations.
* Employed Asian women were more likely to work in higher-paying management, professional, and related occupations than White, Black, or Hispanic women in the labor force.
* By industry, more than 50% of women were employed in financial activities, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality.
* Women working full-time in 2006 had median weekly earnings of $600, compared to median income of men at $743 weekly. Earnings of White women were slightly higher than what Asian or Hispanic women earned.
* Women with college degrees earned 81% more than women with only a high school diploma.

 

Posted by Resumesolutions at 16:15:08 | Permalink | No Comments »

INE Report: Hiring Forecasts Slip for Manufacturing and Service Sectors

* Lowest October manufacturing difficulty in four years
* Lowest October service-sector recruiting difficulty in three years
* Employment expectations down in manufacturing; up in service sector
Manufacturing Series
 Net Increasing Index November 2007
41.5 Employment Expectations
12.1 New Hire Compensation
23.5 Exempt Vacancies
18.9 Nonexempt Vacancies
16.2 Recruiting Difficulty
Service Sector Series
Net Increasing Index November 2007
42.5 Employment Expectations
14.7 New Hire Compensation
0.9 Exempt Vacancies
1.0 Nonexempt Vacancies
11.0 Recruiting Difficulty

 

Posted by Resumesolutions at 16:14:02 | Permalink | No Comments »

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER

On the last business day of August 2007, there were 4.1 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported.
 Job Openings - In August, the job openings rate remained at 2.9 percent. Regionally, the job openings rate declined in the Northeast and West. Over the year, the job openings rate rose in finance and insurance. The rate fell in natural resources and mining; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; and information. Regionally, the job openings rate fell over the year in the Northeast and Midwest.
Hires - The hires rate changed little at 3.4 percent in August, and the hires rate did not change significantly in any industry or region. From August 2006 to August 2007, the hires rate increased in nondurable manufacturing; finance and insurance; and federal government. The hires rate decreased in durable manufacturing; retail trade; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; and state and local government. Regionally, the hires rate fell over the year in the South.

 

Posted by Resumesolutions at 16:11:46 | Permalink | No Comments »

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Press Release

Resumesolutions.ca, a leading provider of resume writing, cover letter writing, career and interview coaching services has posted up to date free sample resumes and career articles on its website. This includes before and after resumes to guide job seekers in understanding the critical components of resumes that generate interviews and jobs. 

 

Resumesolutions.ca, Canada’s leading provider of career services including career coaching, professional resume writing, cover letter writing, interview coaching and outplacement (www.ResumeSolutions.ca), recently updated their sample resumes page with innovative before and after resumes for entry level to senior executives job seekers.

 

Resumesolutions.ca sample resume page consist of actual resumes which resulted in job offers written by Resume Solutions’ Certified Professional Resume Writers with specializations in over 45 industries. These sample documents are geared towards providing job seekers with an inside view of looks and components of professional, effective resumes.

 

“We are confident that the multiple resumes on our sample page, which reflects the highest caliber of our writing from our Certified Professional Resume Writers” said Surranna Sandy, President) “provides job seekers with critical insights into type of resumes that have resulted in job offers.”

 

The new sample resumes page at (www.ResumeSolutions.ca) includes industry specific examples from economics, management, administration and banking. These industries are very competitive, and an expertly written resume helps differentiate candidates from others applying for the same position.

 

To view the sample resumes pages visit www.ResumeSolutions.ca

 

 Résumé Solutions (www.ResumeSolutions.ca) offers advanced certified professional resume writing and interview coaching services from entry level, mid-career through to executive clientele in the global marketplace. The company has a client focused team of resume writers and career coaches helping thousands of job seekers meet their career goals. Resumesolutions.ca is a proud member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and the National Resume Writers Association and Career Alliance Institute.

 

 

Posted by Resumesolutions at 21:15:06 | Permalink | No Comments »

Press Release

Resumesolutions.ca, a leading provider of resume writing, cover letter writing, career and interview coaching services has posted up to date free sample resumes and career articles on its website. This includes before and after resumes to guide job seekers in understanding the critical components of resumes that generate interviews and jobs. 

 

Resumesolutions.ca, Canada’s leading provider of career services including career coaching, professional resume writing, cover letter writing, interview coaching and outplacement (www.ResumeSolutions.ca), recently updated their sample resumes page with innovative before and after resumes for entry level to senior executives job seekers.

 

Resumesolutions.ca sample resume page consist of actual resumes which resulted in job offers written by Resume Solutions’ Certified Professional Resume Writers with specializations in over 45 industries. These sample documents are geared towards providing job seekers with an inside view of looks and components of professional, effective resumes.

 

“We are confident that the multiple resumes on our sample page, which reflects the highest caliber of our writing from our Certified Professional Resume Writers” said Surranna Sandy, President) “provides job seekers with critical insights into type of resumes that have resulted in job offers.”

 

The new sample resumes page at (www.ResumeSolutions.ca) includes industry specific examples from economics, management, administration and banking. These industries are very competitive, and an expertly written resume helps differentiate candidates from others applying for the same position.

 

To view the sample resumes pages visit www.ResumeSolutions.ca

 

 Résumé Solutions (www.ResumeSolutions.ca) offers advanced certified professional resume writing and interview coaching services from entry level, mid-career through to executive clientele in the global marketplace. The company has a client focused team of resume writers and career coaches helping thousands of job seekers meet their career goals. Resumesolutions.ca is a proud member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and the National Resume Writers Association and Career Alliance Institute.

 

 

Posted by Resumesolutions at 21:14:59 | Permalink | No Comments »

Relaunch of resumesolutons.ca site

Resumesolutions.ca, a leading provider of resume writing, career and interview coaching services, just announced update of its corporate website.

 

Surranna Sandy, President of www.resumesolutions.ca is extremely pleased to announce the relaunch of the new and improved http://www.resumesolutions.ca website with up to date career information, job search articles, innovative resume samples and critical career information related to resume writing, cover letters, interview coaching, career coaching and outplacement. 

 

Resume Solutions boasts a team of certified professional resume writers and career coaches focused on creating customers resumes and providing career coaching specific to the client’s industry, career level and career goals. Resume Solutions staffs’ professional experience and expertise is unmatched and their customers greatly benefit from their vast areas of knowledge.

 

“The job market is very difficult at the moment and as such job seekers need an innovative, professional resume and cover letter, and our team at Resume Solutions is expert in that area” says Surranna. Resume Solutions’ industry research has shown that approximately 5% of resumes get the desired job, the rest face long and difficult searches. Professional resume writers and career coaches can help eliminate this challenge.

 

Through a convenient website http://www.resumesolutions.ca – job seekers can e-mail pertinent information about employment history, education, objectives and goals to our career services team who will work one-on-one with the client. Job seekers have the option of working in person or via telephone and email as Resume Solutions services clients globally.

 

ResumeSolutions.ca offers advanced certified professional resume writing and interview coaching services from entry level, mid-career through to executive clientele in the global marketplace. The company has a client focused team of resume writers and career coaches helping thousands of job seekers meet their career goals. Resumesolutions.ca is a proud member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and the National Resume Writers Association and Career Alliance Institute.

 

 

Posted by Resumesolutions at 21:13:39 | Permalink | No Comments »