There are a lot of great aspects about government jobs—which is probably why there’s such stiff competition for them—but one thing you may not enjoy is the application process. In addition to sweating over the usual resume and cover letter, you’ll probably have to tackle at least one KSA (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities). It’s kind of the governmental equivalent of the essay portion of the SATs. If you’re looking into a federal job for the first time, you may wonder whether KSAs are required—or whether they apply to you. The answer is yes. They’re not optional, at least not if you want to land the job.
But unlike the SAT, help is available with writing your KSA response. There are KSA writing services that will utilize the information in your resume, together with expert knowledge of the government hiring process, to craft KSA answers for you. These services can be fairly expensive, however. Another option is to download a sample KSA response that has previously been written for someone else applying for a similar government job. KSA samples are much more affordable than custom written KSA answers yet contain the same style of professional writing and formatting. Of course you will need to tailor the sample KSA to your particular background, but doing this is much easier than starting your writing from scratch.
Having written dozens of KSAs over my government career, I have utilized sample KSAs many times and have found that the best ones are available from the following sources:
KSA Doctor. Site has dozens of sample KSAs from all position types and levels. The sample KSAs were professionally written for previous clients, and are now made available to as samples. The quality is high and they can be immediately downloaded for a small fee.
ResumeEdge. Great samples give an excellent idea of the type of detail to provide when answering KSA questions.
Aspirations. Another excellent source of KSA samples that are expertly written and formatted.
CDC website. Several government website include helpful tips for writing KSA responses. The Centers for Disease Control website is among the best. http://www.cdc.gov/hrmo/ksahowto.htm
Internet search. You can find many KSA samples by simply doing a Google search for “KSA samples”.
Using KSA samples is a great way to obtain high quality KSA responses without spending lots of money. Just be sure to revise them by including details from your own education, training, and experience. Remember, KSAs separate those who are qualified for the job from those who are best qualified. So there’s a lot of weight given to how you answer these questions. Be sure to provide specific examples of how you meet the KSA being asked for. And of course be very meticulous with your spelling, grammar, and editing.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
How to Write a Career Transition Resume
Congratulations! You’ve made the difficult yet rewarding decision to change careers. The good news? You’re in for an exciting adventure as you blaze a trail down a career path that perhaps you’ve always wanted to explore. The bad news? First you’ve got to get someone to hire you into this new field.
A traditional resume—most likely the resume that you have now—isn’t the best tool to maximize your talent and experience. If you’re transitioning to a closely related field—a hospital nurse to a private nurse, for example—a combination resume format serves you well. It’s like a chronological resume, except that you begin with a summary that outlines your qualifications and certifications, proving that you’re a great candidate for this new role.
If you’re making a larger leap between careers, a functional resume is the right choice because it highlights your skills while downplaying your work history (which undoubtedly has little, if anything, to do with your new career). Since this is the hardest transition to make, we’ll focus on putting together a functional resume.
A couple of tips before you get started on your resume:
• Do your homework. If you’ve made a life-altering decision about pursuing this new career, it’s probably safe to assume that you’re familiar with what the job entails on a day-to-day basis. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you know what employers are looking for in potential employees. You may think you’re perfect for a marketing or PR position because you’re a great writer, but did you know what many employers are looking for marketing staff with sales ability? You can get some information from the Internet, but a better solution is to meet with an employer within your desired industry to pick her brain about what specifically she looks for in a candidate.
• Think like an employer. If your resume can’t demonstrate years of direct experience within this field, what would show an employer that you’ve got what it takes to make it in this new profession? Think through all of your potential transferable skills. Did a volunteer project incorporate a related skill? Does your hobby use a transferable skill?
Crafting a new resume from scratch can be daunting—especially if you’re unfamiliar with a functional format. But the tips below will take you through the creation of your new resume step by step.
• Step 1: Begin with a clearly-stated Objective. This is important on most resumes, but it’s absolutely crucial in a transitional resume. You must tell the hiring manager exactly which position you desire because she probably won’t be able to determine that you’re applying for a graphic design job if all she sees is teaching-related skills. Example: “Graphic design job where 10 years of demonstrable creativity, adaptability, and communication skills will ensure that clients are fully satisfied with their design projects.”
• Step 2: Include a Profile. This is where your knowledge of what an employer in this field is looking for begins to come in handy. In this section, you’ll list who you are in a nutshell—as it relates to your intended position, of course. Example: “Creative, self-motivated professional who can adapt to any situation with ease. Talent for conquering new technology and software application, while retaining creative flair. Trained in cross-cultural communication and fluent in two foreign languages.”
• Step 3: Make a Skills Summary. In this section, simply list all of your skills—column format is easiest to read. Include technology, languages, and hard and soft skills. List everything from “project management” to “Dreamweaver” to “French fluency.”
• Step 4: Create functional categories. Depending on your experience and the job for which you’re applying, your functional categories could be “Sales Experience,” “Organizational Experience,” and “Customer Service.” Under “Organizational Experience,” for example, list all of your organizational-related achievements throughout your career. Example: “Created new system that tracked a 68-employee firm’s compliance with new federal regulations.” This is the most difficult aspect of a functional resume for many people because it can be hard to identify skills, rather than just job descriptions. Sometimes an outside source—a spouse, friend, or family member—can help you brainstorm ideas.
• Step 5: End with a brief employment history. You’ve already plucked all useful skills and experience from your work history and distilled them into your functional category sections. So all you need to list here is the company name, address, your job title, and the dates of your employment. Don’t elaborate on your job descriptions.
It’s a little time-consuming, but writing an effective functional resume is the first step toward the career that you’ve been dreaming of.
Read resume service reviews of the top resume writing services.
A traditional resume—most likely the resume that you have now—isn’t the best tool to maximize your talent and experience. If you’re transitioning to a closely related field—a hospital nurse to a private nurse, for example—a combination resume format serves you well. It’s like a chronological resume, except that you begin with a summary that outlines your qualifications and certifications, proving that you’re a great candidate for this new role.
If you’re making a larger leap between careers, a functional resume is the right choice because it highlights your skills while downplaying your work history (which undoubtedly has little, if anything, to do with your new career). Since this is the hardest transition to make, we’ll focus on putting together a functional resume.
A couple of tips before you get started on your resume:
• Do your homework. If you’ve made a life-altering decision about pursuing this new career, it’s probably safe to assume that you’re familiar with what the job entails on a day-to-day basis. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you know what employers are looking for in potential employees. You may think you’re perfect for a marketing or PR position because you’re a great writer, but did you know what many employers are looking for marketing staff with sales ability? You can get some information from the Internet, but a better solution is to meet with an employer within your desired industry to pick her brain about what specifically she looks for in a candidate.
• Think like an employer. If your resume can’t demonstrate years of direct experience within this field, what would show an employer that you’ve got what it takes to make it in this new profession? Think through all of your potential transferable skills. Did a volunteer project incorporate a related skill? Does your hobby use a transferable skill?
Crafting a new resume from scratch can be daunting—especially if you’re unfamiliar with a functional format. But the tips below will take you through the creation of your new resume step by step.
• Step 1: Begin with a clearly-stated Objective. This is important on most resumes, but it’s absolutely crucial in a transitional resume. You must tell the hiring manager exactly which position you desire because she probably won’t be able to determine that you’re applying for a graphic design job if all she sees is teaching-related skills. Example: “Graphic design job where 10 years of demonstrable creativity, adaptability, and communication skills will ensure that clients are fully satisfied with their design projects.”
• Step 2: Include a Profile. This is where your knowledge of what an employer in this field is looking for begins to come in handy. In this section, you’ll list who you are in a nutshell—as it relates to your intended position, of course. Example: “Creative, self-motivated professional who can adapt to any situation with ease. Talent for conquering new technology and software application, while retaining creative flair. Trained in cross-cultural communication and fluent in two foreign languages.”
• Step 3: Make a Skills Summary. In this section, simply list all of your skills—column format is easiest to read. Include technology, languages, and hard and soft skills. List everything from “project management” to “Dreamweaver” to “French fluency.”
• Step 4: Create functional categories. Depending on your experience and the job for which you’re applying, your functional categories could be “Sales Experience,” “Organizational Experience,” and “Customer Service.” Under “Organizational Experience,” for example, list all of your organizational-related achievements throughout your career. Example: “Created new system that tracked a 68-employee firm’s compliance with new federal regulations.” This is the most difficult aspect of a functional resume for many people because it can be hard to identify skills, rather than just job descriptions. Sometimes an outside source—a spouse, friend, or family member—can help you brainstorm ideas.
• Step 5: End with a brief employment history. You’ve already plucked all useful skills and experience from your work history and distilled them into your functional category sections. So all you need to list here is the company name, address, your job title, and the dates of your employment. Don’t elaborate on your job descriptions.
It’s a little time-consuming, but writing an effective functional resume is the first step toward the career that you’ve been dreaming of.
Read resume service reviews of the top resume writing services.
Knowing When to Quit to Your Job
For many people, the answer to the question, “Do you like your job?” changes depending on what day you ask. Maybe you can relate to this see-saw of emotions when it comes to your 9-to-5. So how does an employee know when it’s really, truly time to move on—and not a temporary sentiment that will pass tomorrow or next week? There are some guidelines, both internal (how you feel inside) and external (what feedback you’re getting from your interpersonal relationships) that provide clues. Keep in mind, however, that every situation is different, and you should ultimately make an informed choice that is best for yourself, your family, and your health.
• You’re sick of it—literally. If you’re sick all the time, your body is saying, “Run—do not walk—to the nearest exit.” Your workplace could be making you sick in a number of ways. Your office may subtly (or not so subtly) discourage employees from using sick days. So everybody comes to work sick, and you spend half the year at the doctor’s office getting prescriptions for antibiotics. Or maybe you’re suffering from stress-related illnesses: constant headaches, body aches, fatigue that never goes away, sleeplessness, and even hair loss. Endless stress can manifest itself in the physical signs above, but it can also take a toll on your mental health, causing depression and other serious consequences. You should never be asked to sacrifice your health for the sake of your job.
• There’s nowhere to go. If you mastered your job duties three years ago and haven’t been challenged since, you’re probably bored out of your mind all day. If you aren’t being given an opportunity to advance at your company—or if the only position above yours is “owner”—you may need to look outside your current organization.
• You’re only paranoid if nobody’s out to get you. Sometimes the office can feel like high school all over the again: the cliques, the gossip, the jealousy. If poor relationships with co-workers are making you miserable or preventing you from doing your job effectively, the sad truth is that the situation is probably not going to improve significantly. If you’ve tried the usual HR routes to get a disagreement or personality conflict resolved and nothing has happened, you may want to investigate another job where the atmosphere is friendlier and more conducive to—gasp!—actually working.
• Your boss isn’t crazy about you. Dealing with cruddy co-workers is one thing, but there’s nothing more demoralizing than feeling like your boss is out to get you. It’s possible that you’re just being overly sensitive, but if “sensitive” isn’t how most people would describe you, you may be onto something very real. Sometimes bosses lose confidence in employees for solid reasons: slipping performance, coming in late and leaving early, an overheard phone call or e-mail criticizing the company or boss, etc. But other times, there doesn’t seem to be a reason for the changing demeanor. If you’re being left out of meetings, your work load or job responsibilities are decreasing, and you’re just plain getting the cold shoulder, she may be trying to manipulate you into quitting or is planning to fire you soon. Before you do anything drastic, however, talk to your boss about your perception. If you’re not satisfied after that meeting, get out the “help wanted” section and start looking!
• You’re not comfortable with your job duties. You should absolutely refuse to perform illegal activities for your boss—it’s better to be out of a job than to risk going to jail. But what about those gray areas somewhere below illegal? Some people may have the stomach for a job that requires unethical activity, but if you don’t, again, your boss probably won’t have an epiphany about ethics and change your job description. Better to look at opportunities in another organization.
• Your family is being compromised. It could be the best job in the world, but if it’s wreaking havoc on your family life, you probably shouldn’t continue. Maybe you’re asked to put in grueling hours, have a long commute that puts you home after the kids are in bed, or travel extensively. Whatever the reason, if your spouse and/or kids are unhappy—and have been for some time—you may want to rethink your job.
• You want to quit. This last item is a catch-all of reasons why you simply want to quit your job. Maybe you’ve been offered a better position elsewhere, or maybe you want to stay home with your kids. If your gut is telling you it’s time to quit, it’s a good idea to listen. And remember that nothing is forever. If you decide down the road that you made a mistake, you can always talk to your boss about coming back or explore possibilities elsewhere.
Read resume service reviews of the top resume writing services.
• You’re sick of it—literally. If you’re sick all the time, your body is saying, “Run—do not walk—to the nearest exit.” Your workplace could be making you sick in a number of ways. Your office may subtly (or not so subtly) discourage employees from using sick days. So everybody comes to work sick, and you spend half the year at the doctor’s office getting prescriptions for antibiotics. Or maybe you’re suffering from stress-related illnesses: constant headaches, body aches, fatigue that never goes away, sleeplessness, and even hair loss. Endless stress can manifest itself in the physical signs above, but it can also take a toll on your mental health, causing depression and other serious consequences. You should never be asked to sacrifice your health for the sake of your job.
• There’s nowhere to go. If you mastered your job duties three years ago and haven’t been challenged since, you’re probably bored out of your mind all day. If you aren’t being given an opportunity to advance at your company—or if the only position above yours is “owner”—you may need to look outside your current organization.
• You’re only paranoid if nobody’s out to get you. Sometimes the office can feel like high school all over the again: the cliques, the gossip, the jealousy. If poor relationships with co-workers are making you miserable or preventing you from doing your job effectively, the sad truth is that the situation is probably not going to improve significantly. If you’ve tried the usual HR routes to get a disagreement or personality conflict resolved and nothing has happened, you may want to investigate another job where the atmosphere is friendlier and more conducive to—gasp!—actually working.
• Your boss isn’t crazy about you. Dealing with cruddy co-workers is one thing, but there’s nothing more demoralizing than feeling like your boss is out to get you. It’s possible that you’re just being overly sensitive, but if “sensitive” isn’t how most people would describe you, you may be onto something very real. Sometimes bosses lose confidence in employees for solid reasons: slipping performance, coming in late and leaving early, an overheard phone call or e-mail criticizing the company or boss, etc. But other times, there doesn’t seem to be a reason for the changing demeanor. If you’re being left out of meetings, your work load or job responsibilities are decreasing, and you’re just plain getting the cold shoulder, she may be trying to manipulate you into quitting or is planning to fire you soon. Before you do anything drastic, however, talk to your boss about your perception. If you’re not satisfied after that meeting, get out the “help wanted” section and start looking!
• You’re not comfortable with your job duties. You should absolutely refuse to perform illegal activities for your boss—it’s better to be out of a job than to risk going to jail. But what about those gray areas somewhere below illegal? Some people may have the stomach for a job that requires unethical activity, but if you don’t, again, your boss probably won’t have an epiphany about ethics and change your job description. Better to look at opportunities in another organization.
• Your family is being compromised. It could be the best job in the world, but if it’s wreaking havoc on your family life, you probably shouldn’t continue. Maybe you’re asked to put in grueling hours, have a long commute that puts you home after the kids are in bed, or travel extensively. Whatever the reason, if your spouse and/or kids are unhappy—and have been for some time—you may want to rethink your job.
• You want to quit. This last item is a catch-all of reasons why you simply want to quit your job. Maybe you’ve been offered a better position elsewhere, or maybe you want to stay home with your kids. If your gut is telling you it’s time to quit, it’s a good idea to listen. And remember that nothing is forever. If you decide down the road that you made a mistake, you can always talk to your boss about coming back or explore possibilities elsewhere.
Read resume service reviews of the top resume writing services.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Crafting a Great Resume Objective
It’s the first thing potential employers read, and it can set the tone for your entire resume. The objective you list on your resume can make the difference between “keep reading” and “toss it” in the minds of hiring managers, so it’s worth your time and attention!
Below are some tips on how to create an objective that’s accurate and engaging for the reader, along with what you need to consider before committing to an objective.
Write From the Employer’s Point of View
It’s your resume, so it makes sense that your objective should be about what you’re looking for, right? But as with so many things related to job hunting, the trick is to compose an objective that speaks to what the potential employer is looking for.
• Add value. The single best way to sell yourself—in your resume, cover letter, and any other application material—is to relate your ability to add value to a company. For example: “Seeking a marketing position where 20 years of experience can help advance the company’s goals.” Now, if you’re the potential employer, doesn’t that sound like a better deal than someone who wants to “put 20 years of experience to use.” To use for what? Use your first opportunity to “wow” them by revealing exactly how you can help the company.
• Avoid “me”-centric wording. Do you want to advance your career? Do you want to further your goals by moving up the corporate ladder? From the looks of most resume objectives, that’s important to almost every job hunter. But employers aren’t terribly concerned about what you want—at least not before you’re hired an prove invaluable to the company. Avoid objectives that talk include “my career” “I want,” and “offer me advancement.”
• Stay away from the clichés. Hiring managers see dozens of objectives every day that include the terms like “utilize my skills.” It looks lazy or, worse, like you don’t know what you’re doing if you can’t streamline it to reflect the job you want and exactly what you bring to the table.
• Take care with your adjectives. Chances are, you’ve made adjective mistakes in the past and didn’t even realize it. Listing your desire for a “challenging” job, for example, can’t help but cause potential employers to think, “As opposed to boring?” Or wanting to secure a position within a “progressive” company. Don’t most people prefer that over a stodgy company stuck in the 19th century? It may seem like a small thing, but your adjectives can speak volumes about you. Your descriptions can come off as trite or simply make the reader think, “duh...” Remember that every word counts.
Pair the Right Objective with the Right Job
There are so many variables within the job hunting process. But whether you’re applying for specific jobs, prospecting anywhere and everywhere, or attempting to pull off a significant career change, your objective will either help or hurt your cause.
• Be as specific as possible. If you’re responding to an ad for a defined job, make sure the hiring manager knows that when reading your objective. That doesn’t mean you should include where you saw the ad (“seeking the position advertised in the city newspaper”); rather the reader should understand through the words in your objective that you’re responding to the ad. Instead of a blanket “seeking a sales position at Company X,” say “seeking Account Management position for Territory ABC.” If you’re not applying for a job opening, see below.
• Leave it off entirely if you’re prospecting. Using an objective is a powerful way to open a resume and target it to the job you’re interested in. But if you’re applying for potential job openings at a specific company (without knowing the actual jobs you’re qualified for) or are using your resume to blanket an area (posting it on a huge online job site or handing it out at a career fair), skip the objective altogether. It will only serve to limit the number of responses you get. Let the rest of your resume sell your strengths and experience, and cross your fingers that you’re a match for an opening.
• Be precise with a career-change resume. When you’re changing careers, a great objective is even more important. If you don’t state your goal explicitly in the objective, the hiring manager may look over your resume and wonder why a graphic designer is submitting a resume for an accounting position. Make sure you say something like, “Seeking an entry-level accounting position where 10 years of comprehensive business experience can be applied to increase client satisfaction.”
Read resume writing service reviews of the top resume writing services.
Below are some tips on how to create an objective that’s accurate and engaging for the reader, along with what you need to consider before committing to an objective.
Write From the Employer’s Point of View
It’s your resume, so it makes sense that your objective should be about what you’re looking for, right? But as with so many things related to job hunting, the trick is to compose an objective that speaks to what the potential employer is looking for.
• Add value. The single best way to sell yourself—in your resume, cover letter, and any other application material—is to relate your ability to add value to a company. For example: “Seeking a marketing position where 20 years of experience can help advance the company’s goals.” Now, if you’re the potential employer, doesn’t that sound like a better deal than someone who wants to “put 20 years of experience to use.” To use for what? Use your first opportunity to “wow” them by revealing exactly how you can help the company.
• Avoid “me”-centric wording. Do you want to advance your career? Do you want to further your goals by moving up the corporate ladder? From the looks of most resume objectives, that’s important to almost every job hunter. But employers aren’t terribly concerned about what you want—at least not before you’re hired an prove invaluable to the company. Avoid objectives that talk include “my career” “I want,” and “offer me advancement.”
• Stay away from the clichés. Hiring managers see dozens of objectives every day that include the terms like “utilize my skills.” It looks lazy or, worse, like you don’t know what you’re doing if you can’t streamline it to reflect the job you want and exactly what you bring to the table.
• Take care with your adjectives. Chances are, you’ve made adjective mistakes in the past and didn’t even realize it. Listing your desire for a “challenging” job, for example, can’t help but cause potential employers to think, “As opposed to boring?” Or wanting to secure a position within a “progressive” company. Don’t most people prefer that over a stodgy company stuck in the 19th century? It may seem like a small thing, but your adjectives can speak volumes about you. Your descriptions can come off as trite or simply make the reader think, “duh...” Remember that every word counts.
Pair the Right Objective with the Right Job
There are so many variables within the job hunting process. But whether you’re applying for specific jobs, prospecting anywhere and everywhere, or attempting to pull off a significant career change, your objective will either help or hurt your cause.
• Be as specific as possible. If you’re responding to an ad for a defined job, make sure the hiring manager knows that when reading your objective. That doesn’t mean you should include where you saw the ad (“seeking the position advertised in the city newspaper”); rather the reader should understand through the words in your objective that you’re responding to the ad. Instead of a blanket “seeking a sales position at Company X,” say “seeking Account Management position for Territory ABC.” If you’re not applying for a job opening, see below.
• Leave it off entirely if you’re prospecting. Using an objective is a powerful way to open a resume and target it to the job you’re interested in. But if you’re applying for potential job openings at a specific company (without knowing the actual jobs you’re qualified for) or are using your resume to blanket an area (posting it on a huge online job site or handing it out at a career fair), skip the objective altogether. It will only serve to limit the number of responses you get. Let the rest of your resume sell your strengths and experience, and cross your fingers that you’re a match for an opening.
• Be precise with a career-change resume. When you’re changing careers, a great objective is even more important. If you don’t state your goal explicitly in the objective, the hiring manager may look over your resume and wonder why a graphic designer is submitting a resume for an accounting position. Make sure you say something like, “Seeking an entry-level accounting position where 10 years of comprehensive business experience can be applied to increase client satisfaction.”
Read resume writing service reviews of the top resume writing services.
Choosing the Right Resume Format
If you learned to write a resume more than 10 years ago, you may be thinking, “I didn’t know there were different formats.” That’s because until recently, most workers were pretty predictable: they stayed at the same company—or at least within the same field—throughout their careers. Few people switched careers, and they certainly didn’t switch careers the three to five times many workers today do.
Everyone learned how to write a chronological resume because it made sense. And it’s still a viable format for many people, but there’s a whole new world of possibilities out there. Below is an outline of popular formats and a listing of when they’re most useful.
Chronological Resumes
These are still the most commonly used resumes—first, because most people apply for jobs that are relatively similar to the position they currently occupy and secondly, because it’s the most commonly taught resume. Chronological resumes are perfect for showcasing your growth within a field of employment and progression up a career ladder. Use this format when you’re:
• Applying for a position within the same field.
• Applying for a promotion at the same company.
To format this type of resume:
• Start with your Objective, where you list a specific job you’re interested in, or an Interest section, where you list a few of your most marketable strengths.
• Next is the Experience or Work History section. In reverse chronological order, list your jobs, dates of employment, and significant tasks.
• Add your Education section third (assuming you’ve been out of school at least five years and have been building your career since then), and include any special training or certifications you’ve received.
• Finish with an Additional Skills list, where you describe abilities that may not be directly related to the job for which you’re applying, but are assets just the same (superior computer skills, foreign languages, etc.).
Functional Resumes
Functional resumes are the second most popular format because they can be used to both highlight and hide certain elements. This format is great for emphasizing a skill set and unique abilities. For better or worse, it doesn’t underscore the jobs you’ve held, so make sure you understand that before putting together a functional resume. Use this format when you’re:
• Switching careers or fields.
• Re-entering the work force after an absence (to stay at home with kids, an illness, etc.).
• Young and entering the work force for the first time.
To format this type of resume:
• Start with your Objective or Interest section. This is especially important with a functional resume, which may include information from several fields or careers.
• Next list all of your experience under different headings. For example: Sales Experience will include everything you’ve done in sales—from all of your jobs. Organizational Experience will include everything you’ve ever done in that category, etc.
• Third is the actual Employment category. In reverse chronological order, list your employer, dates of employment, and title. Don’t record job responsibilities—all of the good stuff will already be listed above.
• Now add your Education section.
• Finish with your Additional Skills section.
Technical Resume
As its name implies, a technical resume is ideal for drawing attention to a job seeker’s technical skills—a highly valuable commodity in today’s market. Done correctly, it also highlights stability. Use this format when you’re:
• Applying for a technical job and have lots of experience.
To format this type of resume:
• Start with a Profile section that lists your strengths and skill sets.
• Next add an Experience section that lists your jobs and associated responsibilities in reverse chronological order. (Because technical formats are geared toward technical industries, it’s assumed that you don’t need to hide career gaps or changes.)
• At the bottom, insert your Education section, and include any additional training, certificates, courses, etc.
Curriculum Vitae
Many people use “curriculum vitae” and “resume” interchangeably. But technically, a curriculum vitae is specifically used within the academic and research arenas. It’s a format that accents teaching, publication, and research experience. Use a curriculum vitae when you’re:
• Applying for an academic or research position.
To format this type of resume:
• Start with your Education section—even if you’ve been out of school for years. In reverse chronological order, list your degrees, where they were earned, your areas of study or research, and thesis topics.
• Next, in reverse chronological order, list your Practica section (for educators who also have a degree in areas such as psychology, as well as researchers) or Teaching section (for academic resumes). Both of these are the equivalent of the Experience or Work History sections of most job seekers’ resumes. If you need both a Practica and Teaching section, list the Practica first.
• Third, list your Research section (if applicable). Discuss what projects you worked on, under whose supervision, what the results of your research were, and any other highlights of your experience.
• Add your Publication section next, listing the journals in which your work has appeared.
• Finish with an Affiliation section followed by an Honors or Awards section.
Read resume writing service reviews of the best resume writing services.
Everyone learned how to write a chronological resume because it made sense. And it’s still a viable format for many people, but there’s a whole new world of possibilities out there. Below is an outline of popular formats and a listing of when they’re most useful.
Chronological Resumes
These are still the most commonly used resumes—first, because most people apply for jobs that are relatively similar to the position they currently occupy and secondly, because it’s the most commonly taught resume. Chronological resumes are perfect for showcasing your growth within a field of employment and progression up a career ladder. Use this format when you’re:
• Applying for a position within the same field.
• Applying for a promotion at the same company.
To format this type of resume:
• Start with your Objective, where you list a specific job you’re interested in, or an Interest section, where you list a few of your most marketable strengths.
• Next is the Experience or Work History section. In reverse chronological order, list your jobs, dates of employment, and significant tasks.
• Add your Education section third (assuming you’ve been out of school at least five years and have been building your career since then), and include any special training or certifications you’ve received.
• Finish with an Additional Skills list, where you describe abilities that may not be directly related to the job for which you’re applying, but are assets just the same (superior computer skills, foreign languages, etc.).
Functional Resumes
Functional resumes are the second most popular format because they can be used to both highlight and hide certain elements. This format is great for emphasizing a skill set and unique abilities. For better or worse, it doesn’t underscore the jobs you’ve held, so make sure you understand that before putting together a functional resume. Use this format when you’re:
• Switching careers or fields.
• Re-entering the work force after an absence (to stay at home with kids, an illness, etc.).
• Young and entering the work force for the first time.
To format this type of resume:
• Start with your Objective or Interest section. This is especially important with a functional resume, which may include information from several fields or careers.
• Next list all of your experience under different headings. For example: Sales Experience will include everything you’ve done in sales—from all of your jobs. Organizational Experience will include everything you’ve ever done in that category, etc.
• Third is the actual Employment category. In reverse chronological order, list your employer, dates of employment, and title. Don’t record job responsibilities—all of the good stuff will already be listed above.
• Now add your Education section.
• Finish with your Additional Skills section.
Technical Resume
As its name implies, a technical resume is ideal for drawing attention to a job seeker’s technical skills—a highly valuable commodity in today’s market. Done correctly, it also highlights stability. Use this format when you’re:
• Applying for a technical job and have lots of experience.
To format this type of resume:
• Start with a Profile section that lists your strengths and skill sets.
• Next add an Experience section that lists your jobs and associated responsibilities in reverse chronological order. (Because technical formats are geared toward technical industries, it’s assumed that you don’t need to hide career gaps or changes.)
• At the bottom, insert your Education section, and include any additional training, certificates, courses, etc.
Curriculum Vitae
Many people use “curriculum vitae” and “resume” interchangeably. But technically, a curriculum vitae is specifically used within the academic and research arenas. It’s a format that accents teaching, publication, and research experience. Use a curriculum vitae when you’re:
• Applying for an academic or research position.
To format this type of resume:
• Start with your Education section—even if you’ve been out of school for years. In reverse chronological order, list your degrees, where they were earned, your areas of study or research, and thesis topics.
• Next, in reverse chronological order, list your Practica section (for educators who also have a degree in areas such as psychology, as well as researchers) or Teaching section (for academic resumes). Both of these are the equivalent of the Experience or Work History sections of most job seekers’ resumes. If you need both a Practica and Teaching section, list the Practica first.
• Third, list your Research section (if applicable). Discuss what projects you worked on, under whose supervision, what the results of your research were, and any other highlights of your experience.
• Add your Publication section next, listing the journals in which your work has appeared.
• Finish with an Affiliation section followed by an Honors or Awards section.
Read resume writing service reviews of the best resume writing services.
Writing a Student Resume
If you’re still in college, chances are you haven’t had the opportunity to hold down many impressive jobs in between late-night studying and late-night socializing. So if you’re putting together a resume for a potential employer, you may wonder how in the world you can create something that will get you hired for that coveted internship or even a part-time job at your favorite music store. The key is to play up your strengths and include items that make the most of your background, education, work experience, and interests. The following tips will help you craft a student resume that will make you stand out from the crowd.
• Put your education front and center. Assuming that your work experience is pretty limited (two summers of waitressing doesn’t qualify as extensive work experience—unless you’re applying to be a waitress), you need to place the education section of your resume at the top. If you have a great overall GPA, make sure that’s in big, bold letters. If your major GPA is far superior, include that number instead. Lacking much real-world experience, potential bosses have to go by how well you applied yourself to your studies to try to predict how well you would apply yourself to their position.
• Point out honors and awards. These may not matter 10 years down the road when your career is in full swing, but right now they may hold some sway—kind of like a stellar GPA. If you’ve received any awards or honors (Dean’s List, Sophomore Journalism Award, French Student of the Year, etc.) make sure you compile that list in an “Honors” section.
• Highlight experience gained through classes. Say you want to nail down an internship at a publishing house. List classes that have prepared you for this opportunity and the skills you’ve gained through outstanding class work. If you took a PR course and learned to write killer press releases, put that fact in your resume. If a Professional Writing course taught you how to compose professional acceptance and rejection letters (for all of those manuscripts at the publishing house), list that proficiency.
• Include your part-time jobs. Logging 15 hours a week at your local coffeehouse isn’t typically a ladder to an accounting job, but your can put a positive spin on experience that may not seem relevant. Think about what your responsibilities were, and list those instead of a cold, hard job description. For example, did you help train a fellow barista? Were you in charge of totaling receipts from the day’s sales? Did you develop a new menu that better highlighted the coffee products? These responsibilities include elements of HR, accounting, and marketing. Think creatively, but make sure it can all be verified by your previous employer.
• Sort through your hobbies and volunteer work. Hopefully by now you’ve been involved with at least some volunteer work. Whether that means conducting a fundraiser for your fraternity or sorority or finding time to tutor kids in your favorite subject. Whatever your experience, turn it into something potential employers can use. If you coordinated a bake sale for your sorority, translate your results into numbers that demonstrate a job-related ability. For example: “Under my leadership, this endeavor raised profits by 50% over last year’s totals.” And if you haven’t spent time on volunteer work, make sure you put that at the top of your to-do list—soon!
• Emphasize your skills. This includes both “hard” and “soft” skills. By the time they get to college, most students have a thorough understanding of a variety of computer hardware and software, which is critically important in any workplace today. Describe your familiarity with technical applications—especially those that relate directly to the job for which you’re applying. Just as important today are “soft” skills such as interpersonal skills, conflict resolution skills, and teamwork skills. You can list these alone, but it’s more effective to include a one-line account as well. Under teamwork, you may say, “Worked effectively as part of a four-member team to write a proposal to bring a soccer program to campus.”
• Make sure employers are able to reach you. If you have a temporary address on campus, as well as a permanent address, add them both to the top of your resume, along with both phone numbers, your cell number, and your e-mail address. You want potential employers to be able to get in touch with you whether you’re home for the weekend or on campus.
Read resume writing service reviews of the best resume writing services.
• Put your education front and center. Assuming that your work experience is pretty limited (two summers of waitressing doesn’t qualify as extensive work experience—unless you’re applying to be a waitress), you need to place the education section of your resume at the top. If you have a great overall GPA, make sure that’s in big, bold letters. If your major GPA is far superior, include that number instead. Lacking much real-world experience, potential bosses have to go by how well you applied yourself to your studies to try to predict how well you would apply yourself to their position.
• Point out honors and awards. These may not matter 10 years down the road when your career is in full swing, but right now they may hold some sway—kind of like a stellar GPA. If you’ve received any awards or honors (Dean’s List, Sophomore Journalism Award, French Student of the Year, etc.) make sure you compile that list in an “Honors” section.
• Highlight experience gained through classes. Say you want to nail down an internship at a publishing house. List classes that have prepared you for this opportunity and the skills you’ve gained through outstanding class work. If you took a PR course and learned to write killer press releases, put that fact in your resume. If a Professional Writing course taught you how to compose professional acceptance and rejection letters (for all of those manuscripts at the publishing house), list that proficiency.
• Include your part-time jobs. Logging 15 hours a week at your local coffeehouse isn’t typically a ladder to an accounting job, but your can put a positive spin on experience that may not seem relevant. Think about what your responsibilities were, and list those instead of a cold, hard job description. For example, did you help train a fellow barista? Were you in charge of totaling receipts from the day’s sales? Did you develop a new menu that better highlighted the coffee products? These responsibilities include elements of HR, accounting, and marketing. Think creatively, but make sure it can all be verified by your previous employer.
• Sort through your hobbies and volunteer work. Hopefully by now you’ve been involved with at least some volunteer work. Whether that means conducting a fundraiser for your fraternity or sorority or finding time to tutor kids in your favorite subject. Whatever your experience, turn it into something potential employers can use. If you coordinated a bake sale for your sorority, translate your results into numbers that demonstrate a job-related ability. For example: “Under my leadership, this endeavor raised profits by 50% over last year’s totals.” And if you haven’t spent time on volunteer work, make sure you put that at the top of your to-do list—soon!
• Emphasize your skills. This includes both “hard” and “soft” skills. By the time they get to college, most students have a thorough understanding of a variety of computer hardware and software, which is critically important in any workplace today. Describe your familiarity with technical applications—especially those that relate directly to the job for which you’re applying. Just as important today are “soft” skills such as interpersonal skills, conflict resolution skills, and teamwork skills. You can list these alone, but it’s more effective to include a one-line account as well. Under teamwork, you may say, “Worked effectively as part of a four-member team to write a proposal to bring a soccer program to campus.”
• Make sure employers are able to reach you. If you have a temporary address on campus, as well as a permanent address, add them both to the top of your resume, along with both phone numbers, your cell number, and your e-mail address. You want potential employers to be able to get in touch with you whether you’re home for the weekend or on campus.
Read resume writing service reviews of the best resume writing services.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Data Recovery Services
Your PC’s hard drive first started to make strange, whizzing and whirring noises, and then finally, when you tried one last time to start your PC, it happened. The hard drive crashed. Or perhaps you attempted to reformat or partition your hard drive and discovered that you wiped out some very important files. Or maybe you just deleted those files by mistake. Unfortunately, you didn’t back up your files on a regular basis. What can you do? Is there any way to get those files back?
Enter data recovery…
Data recovery is the process of retrieving or extracting data from a storage device (such as your hard drive) that cannot be retrieved by normal means. Depending on the type of event that caused the files to disappear – a physical storage problem, a logical storage problem, or both – there are various ways in which one can go about resurrecting files that were thought to be gone forever. A hard drive crash, where the hard drive itself mechanically no longer works, is an example of a physical storage data loss. The other preceding examples, as well as file corruption and damage, are examples of logical storage data losses. Data recovery procedures can restore lost or damaged files for both types of data loss in many cases.
Data recovery services
If you are like the average PC user, you may not be comfortable with trying to recover your data on your own. Including the stress caused by losing those precious files, the idea of retrieving the data on your own can be quite intimidating when you do not possess the necessary expertise. Fortunately, there are companies that can help with your data recovery efforts. That’s right –your honeymoon photos and last year’s tax return may not actually be gone for good.
Do I really need to hire a data recovery expert or service provider?
This is an important question to ask yourself since the cost of these services may be prohibitive. Also, the more urgently the data is needed, the more money you can expect to be charged. Depending on the type of data loss or damage event – physical or logical – you might be able to resolve the issue yourself with very little expertise. There are some utilities that come with your PC’s operating system (i.e. chkdsk for Windows, fsck for Linux, and Disk Utility for Mac OS X) that can potentially repair logical data damage and loss. There are also software programs on the market that you can use to recover your data to another storage device even if you cannot run any of the OS’s utilities.
For physical data loss or damage, the solution is not quite as easy to implement. It involves actually handling the hard drive and other components in addition to analyzing the logical structures. In these situations, it is probably best to contact a data recovery service provider or expert. These specialists are highly skilled at diagnosing, recovering, and assisting in the further prevention of data loss or damage.
How is my data recovered from my damaged hard drive?
A data recovery service provider will have its experts first determine what happened to the hard drive in order to define the appropriate recovery process. The diagnosis involves the specialists extracting data from the hard drive in a clean room and at a very low level of data granularity, typically as bits of data. They will use their own software tools or techniques to modify the file system on the hard drive manually in an effort to determine what data can actually be recovered. This process can take one day or even 2-3 days to complete. Once diagnostics have finished, the data recovery service provider can tell you what data can be recovered and provide an estimate of how much it will cost to do so. And similar to having your car repaired, you must give the company approval to begin the data recovery process. Upon the recovery of the lost or damaged files, the specialists can either burn the data to CD-ROM and send it to you or upload it to a server and give you access to download it.
Some things to consider when selecting a data recovery service provider
The most important thing to remember is that it is possible that your data cannot be recovered, even by data recovery service experts. They may be able to recover some but not all of your data, or maybe none if the hard drive is physically and mechanically damaged beyond repair. However, data recovery service providers can at least determine this for you, and a professional company will quickly inform you of this and not charge for anything but the diagnosis.
Given this knowledge, you should now see why it is critical to back up any files on your PC that you deem important so you can minimize the chances of ever needing data recovery services. Particularly if you have a small business, it is even more critical to back up EVERYTHING on your PCs and servers. But when you have done all that you can to protect your files and still suffer data damage or loss, be sure to call upon a data recovery services provider. These companies are your best bet to getting back the files and data you can no longer access.
Atlanta data recovery
Houston data recovery
Seattle data recovery
Boston data recovery
New York data recovery
Enter data recovery…
Data recovery is the process of retrieving or extracting data from a storage device (such as your hard drive) that cannot be retrieved by normal means. Depending on the type of event that caused the files to disappear – a physical storage problem, a logical storage problem, or both – there are various ways in which one can go about resurrecting files that were thought to be gone forever. A hard drive crash, where the hard drive itself mechanically no longer works, is an example of a physical storage data loss. The other preceding examples, as well as file corruption and damage, are examples of logical storage data losses. Data recovery procedures can restore lost or damaged files for both types of data loss in many cases.
Data recovery services
If you are like the average PC user, you may not be comfortable with trying to recover your data on your own. Including the stress caused by losing those precious files, the idea of retrieving the data on your own can be quite intimidating when you do not possess the necessary expertise. Fortunately, there are companies that can help with your data recovery efforts. That’s right –your honeymoon photos and last year’s tax return may not actually be gone for good.
Do I really need to hire a data recovery expert or service provider?
This is an important question to ask yourself since the cost of these services may be prohibitive. Also, the more urgently the data is needed, the more money you can expect to be charged. Depending on the type of data loss or damage event – physical or logical – you might be able to resolve the issue yourself with very little expertise. There are some utilities that come with your PC’s operating system (i.e. chkdsk for Windows, fsck for Linux, and Disk Utility for Mac OS X) that can potentially repair logical data damage and loss. There are also software programs on the market that you can use to recover your data to another storage device even if you cannot run any of the OS’s utilities.
For physical data loss or damage, the solution is not quite as easy to implement. It involves actually handling the hard drive and other components in addition to analyzing the logical structures. In these situations, it is probably best to contact a data recovery service provider or expert. These specialists are highly skilled at diagnosing, recovering, and assisting in the further prevention of data loss or damage.
How is my data recovered from my damaged hard drive?
A data recovery service provider will have its experts first determine what happened to the hard drive in order to define the appropriate recovery process. The diagnosis involves the specialists extracting data from the hard drive in a clean room and at a very low level of data granularity, typically as bits of data. They will use their own software tools or techniques to modify the file system on the hard drive manually in an effort to determine what data can actually be recovered. This process can take one day or even 2-3 days to complete. Once diagnostics have finished, the data recovery service provider can tell you what data can be recovered and provide an estimate of how much it will cost to do so. And similar to having your car repaired, you must give the company approval to begin the data recovery process. Upon the recovery of the lost or damaged files, the specialists can either burn the data to CD-ROM and send it to you or upload it to a server and give you access to download it.
Some things to consider when selecting a data recovery service provider
The most important thing to remember is that it is possible that your data cannot be recovered, even by data recovery service experts. They may be able to recover some but not all of your data, or maybe none if the hard drive is physically and mechanically damaged beyond repair. However, data recovery service providers can at least determine this for you, and a professional company will quickly inform you of this and not charge for anything but the diagnosis.
Given this knowledge, you should now see why it is critical to back up any files on your PC that you deem important so you can minimize the chances of ever needing data recovery services. Particularly if you have a small business, it is even more critical to back up EVERYTHING on your PCs and servers. But when you have done all that you can to protect your files and still suffer data damage or loss, be sure to call upon a data recovery services provider. These companies are your best bet to getting back the files and data you can no longer access.
Atlanta data recovery
Houston data recovery
Seattle data recovery
Boston data recovery
New York data recovery
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