Guest Blogs

Resume Writing

Tips from the Pros

Aug

What Do You Do When Your Resume Is Bare?

One of the first steps in making the transition from student to job seeker is to create a professional resume. At first glance it may seem like you don’t have much to put on your resume, however if you assess your past experiences you’ll realize you have more relevant experience to highlight on your resume than you think. Employers look to your past performance to predict your success in the future. As a student or recent graduate, jobs aren’t the only way you can demonstrate your prior success. Remember that resume writing is all about highlighting your achievements. Don’t forget to include examples and evidence to further promote your value added skills to hiring managers.

6 Things to Include on your Resume as a Current Student or Recent Graduate…

Relevant Coursework:

As a student or recent graduate, employers realize that so far most of your life has been spent in the classroom, learning and studying. It’s beneficial to highlight coursework that is related to the field you’re applying for. This can show employers that you’ve learned relevant material from your studies and that you have thorough knowledge that can be an asset to their company.

Internships:

Of course you’ll want to include any and all student internships you’ve had in the past. It’s always better if you’ve participated in an internship related to the jobs you’re applying for; however having any type of internship can show a level of maturity and responsibility. It also shows that you’ve been exposed to a real working environment and are better prepared to enter the workforce.

Part-time/ Summer Jobs:

Don’t belittle your part-time or seasonal work experience. A job in retail or summer camp may not seem relevant to the field you’re going into, however you learn a great deal of foundational skills by having a part-time job that prepares you for having a full-time position. Employers like to see that you’re mature enough to hold a job and learn some basic skills and work ethic.

Volunteer Work:

Volunteering can also provide valuable skills and promote leadership and cooperation. It’s good to include any volunteering you’ve been part of in the past, as it can also demonstrate maturity, responsibility, team work and cooperation.

Extra-curricular Activities:

Feel free to list relevant extra-curricular activities on your resume. Anything you do on your free time that shows commitment, leadership, team work, etc. You can demonstrate skills you’ve acquired through your extra-curricular activities. For example if you’ve played on a sports team while in school, this can show you’re a team player and able to successfully handle multiple tasks.

Memberships/ Affiliations:

Including relevant memberships and affiliations can help demonstrate your commitment to a particular field of study, issue, or show your success in a certain area if membership is merit-based.

About the Author:

Amanda Ryan is a Program Development Associate & Senior Resume Writer at RedStarResume. Amanda is a highly skilled resume writing expert and career expert who also specialises in creating, writing and developing career content, working alongside student and graduate job seekers and developing career content for newsletters, partners and career websites.

Tags: college student job, job interview, professional resume, professional resume writer, resume writing, resume writing service, student resume

May

Top Notch Executive Resume Writing Tips

By RedStarResume No comments yet

A senior executive’s professional resume has one job, and that is to portray your value and significance that you can bring to the business. At the executive level it is expected that you have all the soft skills required to lead and manage teams, however the key is to focus on highlighting your value added skills and achievements that are directly related to what the organization is looking for. If the company is looking for a CEO with experience in turning around departments, raising equity or international expansion, then your executive resume needs to target these requirements and provide quantitative examples to back up your evidence.

Highlighting Your Resume:

90% of senior executives I have worked with include their past work histories on the majority of the resumes and often go back 20/30/40 years to when they first started out. The resumes are often too long, too wordy and fail to portray the skills that make them unique executives. When I read an executive resume I want to see confidence and a demonstration that this individual has the right skills and experience to fit the job.

Two fantastic ways of highlighting the resume are as follows:

Qualifications Profile / Career Summary:

Don’t waste time on your resume telling the reader what you are looking for. A hiring manager is not interested in this type of information. They want to know what you can do for them. Introducing a qualifications profile or career summary is a great way to sell yourself immediately on the resume. The most effective profile will provide exact answers to the job description. For example, if the role is looking for a person with change management experience, then you need to let the reader know within the first 10 seconds that you are the change management expert.

Achievement Section:

Creating an achievement section within your resume is the perfect way to highlight your past behaviors and to sell your value to the reader. Remember that numbers are more powerful than words, so don’t get too consumed with trying to explain your achievements in too much detail. Your achievement section should focus on your notable accomplishments and further provide answers to exactly what the job description is looking for in the perfect candidate.

Final Point:

Set up your LinkedIn profile. If you are an executive you need to be on LinkedIn. Not only is LinkedIn recognized as the leading networking tool for all executives, but developing an optimized LinkedIn profile will enable you to outrank other executives on executive searches, giving you the inside running for headhunting and career opportunities.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com/

Specialising in Executive Resume Writing

Tags: executive resume, executive resume writing, Executive Resume Writing Tips, perfect executive resume, professional resume, resume writing tips

May

How To Avoid Being Red-Flagged As A Job Hopper

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Have you switched careers several times in the past ten years, worked several short-term positions, or been retrenched and forced to find new work? If you’ve held several different positions in the past 5-10 years, you may be sending a message to employers that you’re a job hopper, not staying in positions for very long. Hiring managers confess that if a candidate looks like a job hopper, they will automatically discard their resume, assuming that they’re either not reliable, get bored easily in positions or have been terminated by past employers. Whether employers’ perceptions are accurate or not, you don’t want to be labeled a job hopper and lose a good opportunity.

Whatever your reasons are for frequently changing positions (and there are a lot of totally legitimate reasons nowadays to choose, or circumstantially need to change jobs), you don’t want to be automatically discarded for positions you apply for. Try these helpful tips to avoid being labeled a ‘Job Hopper’ and eliminated from consideration.

Categorize your work experience differently

If you have several short-term, consulting or temporary work assignments, you may want to consider categorizing them under one heading such as “Consultant” and list the various projects you worked on and accomplishments under that, so it appears more as a whole set instead of separate assignments. You can also include two separate headings for your work experience if you’ve transitioned between industries a lot. Put “Relevant Work Experience” with the positions you’ve held that are directly related to the position you’re applying to, and “Other,” or “Additional Work Experience” below that to account for large gaps of time.

Leave out irrelevant jobs

Your resume is essentially a marketing tool to demonstrate your qualifications for a particular position or industry. If you have short-term, contract or part-time experiences that you don’t feel are relevant to the position you’re applying for, it is entirely okay to leave it out. You will, however, need to include it if a company asks for your full work experience.

De-emphasize dates of employment

If your dates of employment are choppy, you can try downplaying the dates in different ways. You can try leaving out the months of employment and only including the years, so it’s not as obvious. You can also include the dates in parenthesis after your job title, or below your achievements.

Focus on resume achievements and qualifications

Employers are mainly concerned with your success in past positions. If you can demonstrate you made significant contributions to your previous employers, even if they were short-term positions, employers will be more likely to overlook it. You can even emphasize accomplishments and skills you’ve acquired through your diverse roles, such as being a fast learner, adapting to new work environments and industry trends, and yielding high results.

Use your cover letter to briefly explain your work history, putting a positive spin on it and expressing your interest in a long-term position

If you feel like your resume screams Job Hopper, you may want to add a brief explanation for why you’ve changed jobs so frequently in your cover letter, or highlight the unique skills and perspective you’ve gained through your diverse experiences. Make sure to stay positive about your past circumstances though and try not to sound like you’re making excuses for every position you’ve left. It’s important to also express your interest in a long-term position with the company to help put employers’ fears at ease.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com/

Internationally Recognized Resume Writing Experts – Specializing in Developing High Impact Resumes”

For the past decade, the team at RedStarResume has been creating award winning resumes that get noticed by hiring managers. Under our guidance, our clients have achieved successes in over 35 different industries. From the college student looking to break into his or her first job to the seasoned professional and CEO level candidate, our custom-made, high impact resumes are written specifically to match the goals and objectives of our clients.

Tags: cover letter, cv writing, expert resume, how to write a resume, job hoppper, professional resume, redstarresume, resume, resume writer, resume writing, writing a resume

May

Student And Graduate Resume Writing

By RedStarResume No comments yet

6 Things to Include on your Resume as a Current Student or Recent Gradratuate

One of the first steps in making the transition from student to job seeker is to create a professional resume. At first glance it may seem like you don’t have much to put on your resume as a student or recent grad, however if you assess your past experiences you’ll realize you have more relevant experience to highlight on your resume than you think. Employers look to your past performance to predict your success in the future. As a student or recent graduate, jobs aren’t the only way you can demonstrate your prior success. Remember that resume writing is all about highlighting your achievements. Don’t forget to include examples and evidence to further promote your value added skills to hiring managers.

Relevant Coursework:

Internships:

Part-time/ Summer Jobs:

Volunteer Work:

Extra-curricular Activities:

Memberships/ Affiliations:

Including relevant memberships and affiliations can help demonstrate your commitment to a particular field of study, issue, or show your success in a certain area if membership is merit-based.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Need the help of a professional resume writer with expert resume writing skills? Contact the team at RedStarResume!

Tags: career content, graduate resume, internship, professional resume, redstarresume, resume writer, resume writing, student internship, student internships, student resume

Feb

Student And Graduate Resume Writing

By RedStarResume No comments yet

6 Things to Include on your Resume as a Current Student or Recent Gradratuate

One of the first steps in making the transition from student to job seeker is to create a professional resume. At first glance it may seem like you don’t have much to put on your resume as a student or recent grad, however if you assess your past experiences you’ll realize you have more relevant experience to highlight on your resume than you think. Employers look to your past performance to predict your success in the future. As a student or recent graduate, jobs aren’t the only way you can demonstrate your prior success. Remember that resume writing is all about highlighting your achievements. Don’t forget to include examples and evidence to further promote your value added skills to hiring managers.

Relevant Coursework:

Internships:

Part-time/ Summer Jobs:

Volunteer Work:

Extra-curricular Activities:

Memberships/ Affiliations:

Including relevant memberships and affiliations can help demonstrate your commitment to a particular field of study, issue, or show your success in a certain area if membership is merit-based.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Need the help of a professional resume writer with expert resume writing skills? Contact the team at RedStarResume!

Tags: career content, graduate resume, internship, professional resume, redstarresume, resume writer, resume writing, student internship, student internships, student resume

Jan

Job Searching Tips For Soon To Be College Graduates

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Have a Job Searching Game Plan:

The job searching process takes time—months in fact, so if you decide this is the route you want to take after college, it’s important to get a head start senior year if you want to have a job lined up after graduation. If you’re not sure exactly which job types you’re looking for, make some time early during the year to figure it out. Schedule an appointment with a career advisor to hone in on your career interests, schedule a meeting with a professor to discuss career paths or set up some informational interviews with professionals in your field to learn about different job titles and careers in the industry. Make a timeline for your senior year as you prepare to enter the workforce. Set deadlines for yourself for when you’ll meet with a career advisor or professor to discuss job titles, practice interviewing techniques, create a professional resume, cover letter and LinkedIn Profile, attend job fairs coming to campus, contact recruitment agents and begin searching for open positions.

Make Decisions:

If you’ve decided (or you’re still considering) entering the job market upon graduation, you have several things to consider. Think about where you want to live and work upon graduation—are you only looking in one city or are you willing to relocate if you find a job elsewhere? What industries are you trying to get into and which entry level job positions will you seek? What types of companies are you targeting? Make decisions that will focus your job search and keep you on track, but stay open to new opportunities if they come up.

Last-Minute Boosters:

If you realize your resume is looking empty or you haven’t yet partaken in an internship or part-time job, now’s the time to do it. Senior year isn’t too late to step into a leadership role in an extra-curricular group you’ve been part of or to find an internship during the school year or part-time job. It’s important to have some experience when applying for jobs.

Networking:

Don’t wait until after graduation to start networking. Senior year you should start talking to family and friends about your intentions post-graduation and the career path you’d like to pursue. Let them know what kinds of positions you’ll be looking for so they can keep an eye out for you if anything turns up or refer you to anyone they know in the business. Most people are happy to help new graduates and provide advice so don’t be afraid to ask.

If you stay on track and start your job search early on, you’ll be on your way to starting a new job upon graduation!

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Professional Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

Find A Recruiter: Speak to the experts at RedStarResume and find out how we can put you in touch with a specialist Recruitment Agent

Tags: career advisor, career paths, college graduates, cover letter, entry level job positions, graduation, internship, interviewing techniques, job fairs, job search, job searching, job titles, LinkedIn profile, networking, new job, professional resume, recruitment agents, workforce

Jan

Why Quality Wins Over Quantity When It Comes To Job Searching

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Let’s face it, when you’re looking for a job, you want it as fast and as easy as you can get it. It can be overwhelming and time-consuming searching for a job. It’s true that you likely won’t land an interview, or job for that matter, without actually applying for job openings (unless they come through Networking and weren’t advertised). However, when it comes to applying to jobs, you’ll actually have a better chance at landing a job interview if you focus on quality over quantity of job applications. You will benefit more by spending increased time on individual job applications—customizing your professional resume and cover letter and doing research on the company before sending in your materials, than on shooting out dozens of generic responses to any job openings you see. Here’s why…

Whether you’re searching for job opportunities while working, going to university or you’re unemployed, you really only have a certain amount of time and energy to focus on job searching and preparing your job seeking materials (Is your LinkedIn Profile updated?). If you spend your entire time finding anything you’re even remotely qualified for and sending generic resumes and cover letters, you’ll end up wasting a lot of time and are more likely to get discouraged faster when you don’t receive any feedback or requests for interviews. It’s more beneficial to you to take your time finding a few job openings that really match your interests and qualifications and put all your effort into customizing your materials to suit the position.

One of the main reasons employers give for not contacting job candidates is because they don’t even meet the minimum requirements they listed on their job posting. If you’re responding to dozens of job postings that require a minimum of 3 years in the field while you only have one, you might be wasting your time. Sometimes employers do call in candidates that don’t quite have the length of experience they’re looking for, but it’s wise not to spend a lot of time sending out your application materials unless it’s a position that strongly appeals to you and that you feel you could qualify for in other ways. Especially for jobs that don’t match your experience level, you’ll have to put all your effort into that job application in order to prove to hiring managers that you can be an asset to the company despite other factors.

Another reason employers don’t call back job candidates is that their resume or cover letter was very general and didn’t convince them that they have the experience they’re looking for in the position. You’ll be more likely to get a call-back if you spend time looking at the company, analyzing what type of candidate they want for the position and then customizing your resume and cover letter to show that you have the skills they’re looking for.

Try it and see what happens!

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Professional Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

Find A Recruiter: Speak to the experts at RedStarResume and find out how we can put you in touch with a specialist Recruitment Agent

Tags: cover letter, job applications, job candidates, job interview, job searching, LinkedIn profile, networking, professional resume

Dec

Tips To Ace The Dreaded Job Interview

By RedStarResume No comments yet

There’s a reason why we all dread job interviews. Going to an interview can feel like an interrogation session where we are asked question after question, sometimes catching us off guard and making us feel anxious. Many times the interviewer gives little feedback or facial expressions to indicate whether or not we seem like a good candidate for the position, which makes it even more uncomfortable. Employers use a series of questions to figure out whether an applicant matches the requirements they need, and whether they’d be a good fit in the company and position.

While it may seem intimidating in an interview, it’s important to remember one thing: Not only should you be trying to show that you’re the right person for the job, you should also use the interview to decide whether the job is right for you. You may be thinking, “That’s nice and all but I really need a job.” The truth is, you’ll be much happier, perform better at your job, and stay at the company longer if you actually feel that the position matches with your skills, experience or interests. It’s better to think about whether a job is right for you, instead of taking anything you get and trying to leave after a couple of months. It’s a waste of your time, as well as the employers.

The employer may do most of the job interviewing and ultimately be the one who decides whether the position is offered to you or not, but you should also ask the interviewer questions about the company and position to determine whether it really is a good fit. This also shows employers that you’re serious about the position and you actually want to see if it’s right for you. Although employers realize that you’re on the search for a job, it’s not good to appear as if you will take any position, even if it doesn’t match your skills and interests.

Whenever you are asked in an interview if you have any questions, you should always be prepared with a list of questions for the employer. Ask questions related to the company and position, such as how much time the position spends on certain tasks, the main qualities looked for in a candidate for the position, whether the position works closely with any other departments, some of the big projects during the year, etc. If you feel that your skills or qualities match a response to one of your questions, be sure to tell the employer that you enjoy certain tasks; have worked in similar projects, and so on to show that you are in fact a good fit from what you’ve learned.

You’ll actually look better in the interview if you ask relevant, strategic questions to the employer and you’ll also get a better idea if you actually want the position if it’s offered to you. Viewing the interview as a chance to figure out whether the position is a good fit can also take away some of the stress and pressure we feel during an interview. It can allow us to portray a more accurate, honest version of ourselves, skills and experiences.

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Professional Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

Find A Recruiter: Speak to the experts at RedStarResume and find out how we can put you in touch with a specialist Recruitment Agent

Tags: cover letter, Dreaded Job Interview, interview, job interview, job interviewing, LinkedIn, LinkedIn profile, LinkedIn profile writing, professional resume, redstarresume

Dec

6 Tips To Help Organize Your Time While Job Searching

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Job searching can be overwhelming, long and tiresome. In order to use your time productively and get the best results, you should organize your activities and set short-term goals. Organizing your time will help you to stay focused, avoid burning out and help you to achieve maximum results.

Below are some tips for activities you can focus on to organize your time, but remember there are many ways you can do this according to your objectives, schedule, career field, and any interviews, new job postings or contacts that emerge. You can choose certain days to focus on a couple of activities, adapting your schedule to any contact leads or interviews you get from employers:

It’s a good idea to spend some time each day checking the top career websites in your field. You may even want to choose one or two career sites to focus on each day. Make a list of the positions that interest you and that match your skills and experiences. You should make time to fill out an application, customize your resume and cover letter to the position and include any other specifications to apply for the job within the same week.

Research companies or organizations in your field that interest you. Save your top companies and frequently refer back to their websites for job postings. Remember to also research small companies in your field of interest. It can often be easier to land an entry-level position in a smaller company when you’re first starting out.

Spend some time building your social networks and relevant career site profiles.

Make time to talk to family and friends about anyone they may know in the field you’re interested in. Ask them for contacts to set up an informational phone call or meeting so you can network and learn about any hiring fairs or updates in the field.

If an employer contacts you to set up an interview, your first priority is to research the company and prepare for your interview.

Read up on relevant news or information in your field. Employers like to see that you stay updated on developments in the field and you’ll also gain more insight into the job market.

Try to create goals for yourself each week. They can be simple goals, such as: find and read 3 articles related to your field; find and apply to 5 relevant positions, catering your professional resume and cover letter to those specific jobs; create your LinkedIn profile and join groups in the type of work that interests you; create a list of organizations you want to research—you get the idea!

Setting goals each week will help you stay focused and motivated so that you can find the right positions and eventually land a job.

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Professional Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

Find A Recruiter: Speak to the experts at RedStarResume and find out how we can put you in touch with a specialist Recruitment Agent

Tags: career site profiles, cover letter, employer contacts, job postings, job searching, land a job, LinkedIn profile, professional resume, social networks

Oct

Information Technology Resume Writing For Students and Graduates

By RedStarResume No comments yet

An IT specific resume is different to a regular resume for a number reasons and ensuring that your IT resume is written, formatted and presented correctly is fundamental to standing out from your competition. As a current student or graduate, you probably have limited relevant work experience which is why it’s important to focus your resume on your technical IT skills as opposed to focusing on other areas of your resume which may have little relevance to the job you are applying for. The most important part of the resume is the opening page and you need to ensure that a hiring manager can easily find your IT skills within the first 10 seconds of reading the resume. Remember that your resume is your marketing document, so don’t be shy in listing and emphasising the value-added skills that will make an employer want to hire you.

Create a Qualifications Profile:

A great way to begin the resume is by creating a 2-3 sentence qualifications profile. Rather than an objective statement (telling the reader what type of job you want), focus on creating a powerful profile that highlights your value-added skills and qualifications. A hiring manager is interested in the skills and qualifications you are able to bring to this particular role, as opposed to being told about the type of job you want.

Highlight your IT Skills:

As an IT student, you probably have a list of various technologies that you are an expert in using. This can include programming languages, desktop operating systems, computer hardware and software etc. This information needs to be on the front page of the resume and right in the reader’s eye line. A great way to further emphasise your IT skills is by providing examples of how you have used these specific skills. Remember that a large majority of other students will share similar skills to you. By providing examples of how you have used these skills, will help you stand out against the crowd.

Strategic IT Keywords:

Recruiters or hiring managers will often skim over the resume looking for specific IT keywords or use software programs to find key words. These key words need to be included in your resume and can be easily changed depending on the requirements of the job. Before you begin to stress out about what keywords to use, all you need to do is simply read the job description, see what the company is looking for and make sure your resume is full of these keywords!

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Tags: graduate resume, Information Technology, Information Technology Resume, Information Technology Resume Writing, professional resume, REDSTAR, redstarresume, resume service, resume writing, student resume, www.redstarresume.com

Guest Blogs

Resume Writing

Tips from the Pros

What Do You Do When Your Resume Is Bare?

Top Notch Executive Resume Writing Tips

How To Avoid Being Red-Flagged As A Job Hopper

Student And Graduate Resume Writing

Student And Graduate Resume Writing

Job Searching Tips For Soon To Be College Graduates

Why Quality Wins Over Quantity When It Comes To Job Searching

Tips To Ace The Dreaded Job Interview

Information Technology Resume Writing For Students and Graduates

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