Emphasize Your Achievements

In any hiring process employers are looking for candidates that can produce results. They want individuals who can help generate revenue and protect the assets of the organization. Placing past ahievements so they are noticeable on the resume is important to show a record of success.

Working with a quality resume writing service can help an applicant present a resume that clearly shows previous benchmarks with previous employment.  However, a professional resume writer can only work with information the client gives them. For some clients, it can be difficult to come up with activities that can be highlighted.

Some clients may feel that they have not done much to emphasize on a resume. Some people may feel they have not made significant accomplishments in previous employment. Any sort of self-evaluation can be difficult. Applicants need to go beyond what regular job tasks were and think of previous challenges and situations where they provided change.

Immediate Problems One way to express accomplishments on the resume is to consider what problems you faced when assuming a new position. Think about what sort of issues fell on you when you accepted a new job and what you did you overcome them and the results of this.  

Chronic Issues In previous jobs, think about what kinds of problems you faced on a continual basis. What kinds of issues seemed to come up and seemed to linger in different positions. Think about how you handled those problems to minimize their effects.

Constraints Peple in any job may feel constraints in their ability to do their work to the best of their ability. It may be bureaucratic constraints that cause limitations. It may also be a lack of resources that employees have to work with. Consider how you dealt with these limitations and what you accomplished despite them.

Long Term Changes Some improvements made in a job can have long term effects for the organization. What sort of projects and tasks were you involved in that still make an impression with a previous employer. Reflect on your involvement with these kinds of changes and think of how to express it on a resume.

Enhance Your Resume With Linkedin

The resume is the most recognized marketing tool to getting a job interview. Whether  it is in paper format or an electronic version, the resume is still considered the most viable item in the first step of the job search process. A well written resume using tested methods and resume writing tips helps in the job search process. Effectively dispaying education and experience as well as accomplishments can make a resume noticeable.

There are limitations in the use of the resume. It can be one dimensional with only certain aspects of an applicant displayed. There is also limited space that can be used for the job applicant to market themselves. A full picture of the applicant cannot be discerned from the resume.

A good Linkedin profile can help with this. Linkedin is one of the most popular social media sites for business purposes. It has also become the site of choice for job seekers and employers. It is a great way to network with others. It also give the chance for the applicant to enhance their outlook to potential employers. It is a great way to network and connect with others of similar occupations.

As of November 2011 over 135 million people used Linkedin. The site provides subscribers the chance to show their education and experience and to summarize themselves. When using the site there are certain aspects to keep in mind:

Be Accurate.  When desribing your background on a resume, it is important to be as accurate with information as possible. Potential employers will check the background of applicants. As a social media site the Linkedin profile is seen in real time by anyone. Make sure that information and dates are factual and able to be verified.

Be Consistent. As a social media site, Linkedin can help advance the online presence of an individual. People have the opportunity to create a summary of themselves. When writing the summary make sure that the desription is consistent with your values and ideals.

Develop Your Background. One benfit of the Linkedin profile is the ability to design it as a reflection of you. The resume has certain limitations. Linkedin  allows users to network and make connections as well as join groups similar to their professional interests. As careers change and advance, users can edit and add information to improve their profile and make it up to date.

The Two Column Resume

The most common resume format used is the chronological resume. This consists of a linear progression of jobs throughout an individual's career. The style is a logical and straightforward approach that is widely recognized by many employers.

Another style that is gaining popularity is the two column resume. Also known as the vertical or newsletter format, it consists of information set up in columns in its presentation. The end product is meant to be visually appealing by breaking up sections of texts. This approach can work well with certain occupations.

When To Use It. The vertical format can be great to use for professions requiring creativity and thinking outside the box. Jobs that require an innovative approach to problems such as website designers and internet marketers can benefit from this format. The style can show the artistic side of a candidate that the chronological type lacks.

Appearance. The design of the resume depends on the personal taste and target goals for the job seeker. The resume can mimic the way information is presented in the chronological format but text is broken up in columns to make it more noticeable. Another technique is to leave a one inch column on the side and use that space to display artistic work of the applicant or quotes from previous employers and references. Permission should be sought before using these on a resume.

Writing The Resume. One of the drawbacks for this resume is that it is time consuming and requires much detail. It requires in depth knowledge of the word processing system being and knowing how to use the tools to set it up. Some job seekers may seek the assistance of a professional resume writing service to construct the resume. Many Professional Resume Writers have the experience in setting up and writing resumes in this format.

Personal Touch. This type of format allows the job seeker to approach their resume with a more individualistic feel. After reviewing several chronological resumes that start to look alike, it can be monotonous for a hiring authority. A different approach reflected in the newsletter format highlighted by the unique accomplishments of the applicant can make an applicant stand out.    

Converting The Paper Resume To Electronic Format

The traditional paper resume is meant to capture the attention of a real person. Most authorities involved in hiring for a company take a few seconds to read a resume put on paper. Candidates strive to show something compelling that  makes an impression with a company representative. An electronic resume or resume designed to be viewed online is set up differently. People read things differently on a computer screen than a paper item. The use of online searches also affect how the resume is prepared.

1. Use More White Space. A paper resume with much white space can make the resume less interesting. A real paper resume uses well written content broken up with boldfaced terms to make them visually appealing. For electronic  resumes, white space improves readability and breaks spaces up to make reading them on screen less straining.

2. Change Text Shorten blocks of text to cature the attention of the reader. Place the most important information at the beginning as people pay less attention to information as they scroll down a computer screen. Format headings on the left margin to make the information noticeable.

3. From Verbs To Keywords A common practice with paper resumes is to use verbs to describe accomplishments. Electronic resumes should use keywords and nouns. When an internet search is conducted by a hiring authority or recruiter, nouns are used such as job titles. To get the resume noticed on the internet, keywords consisting of nouns give better results.

4. Getting The Resume Out The resume is only as good as the ability to distribute it to the right parties. An effective resume distribution service can take a resume and send it to recruiters and job boards for the most effective results.  A targeted resume distribution service can send resumes to employers that the applicant is especially interested in.

Focus On Employer Needs With The Resume

Many times job seekers will construct a resume based on what they perceive are the employer's expectations. They look at a job description and craft their resume on it beleiving it is what the employer seeks. The basic experience and education information is listed as well as some acheivements that seem relevant to the position. In many cases this only scratches the surface of what an employer is looking for.

Hiring a new employee is a period of uncertainty for employers. They do not want someone with just the  qualifications to do the job but a candidate that can benefit them the most. Employers want people that can produce revenue, protect assets, and minimize costs. Often it is not the best qualified candidate that gets hired but the one that shows a hiring authority they can bring the best results.

A resume may need to be reworked in order to address an employers needs. A professional resume editing service can provide this. Professional resume writers know the trends and movements in different  industries. They act as a third party able to take the skills and abilities of an applicant and connect them to the necessities of the hiring organization. A resume editing service can provide the following benefits:

1. Communication. The resume effectively shows why the employer should hire you.

2. Clarity. The resume shows proven results with tangible information from previous employment.

3. Convincing. The resume distinguishes you from other candidates and makes you stand out.

Resume Trends For 2012

Employment numbers for November of 2011 showed great improvements in the numbers of jobs created that exceeded expectations. The job market did so well that unemployment dropped from around 9 percent to 8.6 percent. These figures gave analysts optimism for economic growth and improved employment for 2012.  If conditions remain positive, job seekers will need to use updated practices for their resumes to compete for openings in the coming year.

Be Specific. Gone are the days of using generic self-promoting terms like "motivated", "team player" and "detail oriented". This is the era of transparency where employers are seeking employees that will help them generate revenue, save money and protect assets. Time is becoming the most valuable commodity in business and hiring authorities want to see numbers and achievements where candidates helped productivity and improved efficiency. Resumes can also be customized to the position being sought to show how well the job seeker matches the employer's needs. 

Use video. The ability to produce videos online has become so easy that about 48 hours of video is uploaded to the website youtube every minute. Job seekers are taking advantage of this by making video resumes to show off their achievements and personality to employers. Video resumes allow job seekers the opportunity to show their presentation skills and demeanor. Video resumes make an impact to employers and help job seekers stand out.

Employing social media. In 2011 social media helped organize mass social protests and brought down heads of state. Social media is becoming a common way for candidates to promote themselves. Job seekers need to use all means available to grab the attention of recruiters. Sites like Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn can help update career highlights and connect with professionals. These help augment the résumé by making you a more memorable candidate. It is important to maintain online presence to reflect professionalism as companies increasingly use social media to screen applicants.

Incorporate Your Brand In The Resume

One of the features that has been prominent in the last few years for job seekers is defining themselves though a professional brand. The brand refers to the skills and values that an applicant brings to the workplace as an individual. Much like products seen at a grocery store the brand is used to distinguish a job seeker from other candidates. It shows employers what you can bring to them to ensure success as an employee.  The professional brand should not only reflect what you can bring that makes an immediate impact but also what long term features you can contribute to the hiring authority's productivity. There are ways that your personal brand can be inserted into a resume that conveys the message and gets you noticed.

1. Make A Statement. In a targeted resume, the job title being sought is listed first. This should be folowed by a statement of the benefits you bring to the company and why. It is started with an action verb and uses career related statements. For example if seeking a job as a media salesperson, the position sought would be followed with a statement like:"Poised to bring exceptional sales and revenue through relationship building and  persistent record of acheivement".

2. Support Your Brand. Your initial statement sets the tone for your brand. You can sustain this through consistent messaging in your resume. A Career Highlights or Performace Profile section should contain references to acheivements with previous employers that add value to you. This could be activities that helped bring in revenue or mitigated losses for previous employersthat are tangible and easily identifiable. Job desriptions should also be written to reflect your branding statement.

3. Consistent References Your references may or may not be included in the resume. However, they should be individuals that will support your acheivements and help identify who you are as an individual. Make sure you select references that speak well of you and can recognize what you did for their organization. Utilize people who know your standards and principles and how these can be brought to benefit potential employers.

Developing a professional brand may not happen immediately. It may be a continual process of seeing what works and what does not to make it clear and consistent. Just as we develop in our professions, our brand will progress in relation to it.