Select Country

11
Jul

Resume Writing Tips To Stand Out From The Competition

By RedStarResume No comments yet

If you are a current job seeker you no doubt have one more thing to stress about – writing the perfect resume. The resume is often regarded as one of the most difficult documents to develop. An effectively written resume will get the reader’s attention within the first 20 seconds. However, with such demand for jobs, 20 seconds is often too long to make an impact. You need to ensure that your resume makes an immediate and positive first impression.

It is an undisputed fact that if a hiring manager has two resumes sitting on the table, they are instinctively going to be drawn to the resume that is professionally presented and formatted in the correct way. No matter what the resume has to say, the first impression is already made. If both candidates share similar skills, education and experience, just take a guess at which resume the hiring manager is going to choose.

When you sit down to write your resume, remember one thing. Your resume is a marketing document. This document is all you have to prove to the hiring manager that you are the right person for the job.  Present a professional picture and make sure that you stand out above your competition.

10 Tips to Writing the Perfect Resume

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.

Include Keywords:

With the demand for jobs so competitive, hiring managers and recruiters can often receive upwards of 500 – 1000 resumes for one particular position. As such, many firms now use software programs as a way of performing “first round interviews”. Using selected keywords will ensure that your resume passes the first stage of selection and will not be deleted before a hiring manager has even had a chance to read your application. The best way to find these keywords is by simply reading the job positions. See what the company is looking for and make sure your resume is full of these keywords!

Provide Specific Quantitative Examples:

Hiring managers hate to read clichéd resumes. It’s boring and adds no value to your resume. Use quantitative examples as much as possible to highlight your experience and the value-added skills that you can bring to the job.

Target the Position that you are applying for:

As a job seeker, everything you include in your resume needs to reinforce the message to the reader that you are the right candidate for the position. Don’t waste time on information that doesn’t reflect your suitability for this particular position. Being a good skier and having an interest in tennis will probably not be relevant to the job that you are applying for. Focus your resume on the value added skills and experience that you have to offer. If the job requires management experience than provide these specific examples. Your resume is your marketing document so ensure that your document is marketed correctly.

Highlighting Achievements/Accomplishments:

Does your resume show off all the wonderful skills and talents that you have to offer? If you were the hiring manager would you want to employ yourself? If the answer is no, it’s time to have a serious think about rewriting your resume. If you wouldn’t hire yourself then why would a hiring manager hire you? Turn your resume from a boring resume into an achievement based resume focusing on highlighting achievement based examples. From a hiring manager’s perspective, would you rather read “strong communication skills” or read this statement backed up by an example. “Strong communication skills capable of projecting a strong, credible, articulate and engaging personal presence with experience in producing and creating PowerPoint presentations”

Error Free:

When you open your resume do you see the red or green lines underneath words or sentences? This is such a major turnoff to a hiring manager and will create an immediate unprofessional first impression. The easiest way to avoid this from occurring is convert your word document into a PDF. Not only will it enhance your professionalism but will also ensure that those ugly looking lines don’t occur!

Clean Font:

Make the reader’s life as easy as possible by using an easy to read and professional looking font. Wired looking font not only looks ugly but will detract from the professionalism of your document.

Be Concise and Succinct:

Use bullet points to emphasise your skills and experience. Long drawn out sentences are boring to read and when a hiring manager is staring at a table full of resumes, they do not want to read long winded sentences. Ensure that you are able to catch the reader’s attention immediately and portray the professional image that is required.

Power Words:

A great way to make your resume stand out is by including action words throughout your resume. A clichéd resume is boring to read and can lead to the reader losing interest in your application. Strong action words will further highlight your skills and expertise.

Demonstrate Flexibility, Adaptability and Innovation:

In my experience employers want to hire individuals who can demonstrate flexibility, adaptability and innovation as well as a passion for wanting to gain further knowledge and experience. Remember that an employer wants to know that you are going to bring value to the organisation. Your job duties will change constantly and you need to be able to demonstrate that you are a forward-thinking self-starter with vision and desire to implement innovative solutions to any problem that may arise.

Final Thought …

Job seeking is a cut throat business and in order to succeed your resume needs to be 100% right, and it needs to be presented and formatted professionally and correctly. When you apply for a particular job you only have one chance to succeed. Make sure that you give yourself every opportunity to get that new job!

 

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

RedStarResume are the Resume Writing Experts. Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

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

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

19
Mar

RedStarResume New Online BookStore

By RedStarResume No comments yet

With the help of Career Experts, Professional Resume Writers, Hiring Managers and Specialist Job Interviewers, RedStarResume are proud to present three brand new EBooks that have been written to provide you with tips, advice, knowledge and all the little industry secrets that will help you succeed in your career. Job Seeking has completely changed over the past 10 years and finding that perfect job has become harder and harder. On average hiring managers can now receive upwards of 500 – 1000 applications for every job! In order to succeed, your entire job application needs to be 100% spot on. From writing the perfect resume, to answering those hard interview questions – every element of the job search needs to be outstanding!

Interview Secrets Exposed, Resume Secrets Exposed and Career Secrets Exposed are a three part trilogy designed to give you an edge and help you stand out over your competition.

Buy each book separately or buy the books as a package. The choice is yours (Save over 30% when you purchase the Books as a package! )

Click Here and Purchase the Package for only $19.95

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

14
Mar

Essential Criteria To Include In Your Resume

By RedStarResume No comments yet

When it comes time to write your resume, you will find that a lot of people will offer differing advice on what to include and exclude from your resume. Sure, a lot of these thoughts are subjective, but there are 5 vital things that need to be on your resume – no matter what. Hiring managers will be looking for the below information (whether it seems obvious or not), so be sure to include these somewhere in your resume.

Contact Information:

While this may seem more than obvious, it goes without saying that it is beyond important that your name and contact details be included in your resume – and make sure these details are correct! I can’t tell you how many times I have tried calling a candidate, only to find that their number listed on their resume is incorrect. It is also quite common for people to have typos in their email addresses. The important thing here is to double check – you don’t want to miss out on an interview simply because a hiring manager can’t contact you!

Professional Experience (if any):

Potential employers are looking for the best candidate to fill a job position, and your professional experience can give them an insight into your capabilities. Remember – they do not know you! The only information they have to go off is on your resume, so make sure you are detailed in listing your experience, duties and responsibilities.

Achievements:

When you include your professional experience on your resume, do not just merely list your daily tasks. Sure, employers do want to know that you’ve held similar or relevant positions, but they also want to know that you are capable of making a positive difference to the organization. Did you introduce new initiatives into the business that increased revenues? Did you consistently meet your targets? Be sure to include this type of information as it is exactly what they’re looking for.

Educational Qualifications:

Educational qualifications are not always compulsory to some job positions, but listing them will never hurt you. If you don’t have a Degree, this is a section where you can list any other relevant certificates you have earned.

Relevant Skills:

Every job advertisement calls for certain qualifications or skills from a candidate, and it’s always a good idea to incorporate these somewhere on your resume. Relevant skills are either incorporated into the body of the resume (for example, skills can be listed as part of a candidate’s professional experience), or they can be listed as their own section either right before or after professional experience on a resume.

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that all resumes are different, and you need to write one that sells you. That being said, however, there are still things that hiring managers must see on a resume, so remember to include your own version of our top 5 suggestions.

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

RedStarResume is the number one source for expert Resume Writing and Cover Letter Services

During the last decade, RedStarResume has successfully written hundreds of professional resumes for candidates across the globe. From the student or entry level position to the CEO, our unique, custom-made resumes are written specifically to match the goals and desires of our clients and to help them land jobs.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

17
Aug

Dressing professionally is one step to getting promoted

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Getting ahead in the workplace comes down to many different factors. Your skills and values you bring to the job are of the upmost importance. If you can’t deliver in your job it doesn’t matter how nice you are as the company won’t want to keep you on their payroll. There are, however, other things you can do to help maintain a professional image and make you stand out in your work environment.

Dressing for Success:

How you dress and how you look says a lot about the person you are. If you come to work with a shirt hanging out and dirty shoes, you present an unprofessional image of not caring. No Looking smart will create a positive image about the way you work.

One of my colleagues shed light on this point when he compared two employees under him that were competing for a promotion. One of them dressed every day in a nicely pressed suit with a tie and perfectly polished shoes. The other wore the same worn suit and same tie nearly every day. Furthermore, his shoes were not polished and his hair was in a mess. Both of them had equal skills and their work was first-rate. When my colleague needed to promote one of these men he went with the man who looked the more professional. As he told me, “Who I promoted was a reflection on me. At the end of the day, it was a pretty easy decision.”

First impression in the work environment:

First impressions count and in the work environment it is important that we portray the right impression every single day. Understanding your working environment is the key, and this should drive you in the right direction.

If you work in a professional organisation such as a law firm, for example, and you have large tattoos on your arms, rolling up your sleeves at work is probably not the best idea. Keeping your tattoos covered while at work would probably be advised. The same goes for piercings. The opposite is also true – if you work in a more creative environment, then showing off your tattoos at work would be acceptable and wearing a suit would be deemed inappropriate!

Conclusion:

The key to dressing professionally is understanding your working culture. Dressing for success will make you feel like a winner, but will also send the right image to those around you about your professionalism and attitude

© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

14
Jul

Is Investing in a Professional Resume Writer a Good Idea?

By RedStarResume No comments yet

125x125.jpegHow much money would you be willing to spend to find your dream job? $100? How about $1000? Maybe $10,000? Every person will have a different answer to this question, depending on where they are in their career.

I recently sat down with a candidate of mine to discuss the various options he faced as he prepared to look for a new job. My candidate was stuck in his job, hating it more and more every day, but before he quit he needed to do the maths and find out how much it was going to cost him to find a new job.

Applying a few mathematics equations we were able to come up with the cost of being unemployed and, in doing so, answered the question about whether investing in a professional resume was a good idea.

Before we begin let’s make a couple of assumptions:

The candidate is currently on $50,000 (gross). however is seeking a salary increase of 15%  which is an additional $7,500 therefore a total salary of $57,500 (gross)

50 working weeks in a year

Average time to find a new job is estimated between 3-4 months (for this example, we will say 14 weeks)

In order to work out the weekly salary we take $50,000 and divide it by 50 = $1000.00

Therefore if the average time it takes to find a new job is 14 weeks the total cost of lost salary is:

$1000.00 x 14 weeks = $14,000.00

What happens if it takes longer than 14 weeks? In the competitive job market where hiring managers are receiving in excess of 300 resumes per job it can take twice as many weeks to find a new job. In terms of loss of salary on $50,000 this works out to be:

$10,000 x 28 weeks =$28,000.00

Let’s now presume the candidate has his resume professionally written from the very first day.

A professionally written resume will ensure that hiring managers take notice and therefore will automatically increase interview rates. Generally speaking, if a hiring manager receives 100 resume applications they are likely to only choose the top 5-10% of candidates.

If a candidate has the skills, experience, expertise to perform the job, a good resume writer will repeatedly place you in that top percentage bracket. (Of course, there are many variables outside of your control including employer perception, personal preferences and the skills and quality of the competition).

Let’s assume that having a professionally written resume will increase your chances of gaining an interview by 50%. If a candidate applies for 10 targeted jobs where they have the qualifications and skills required, the odds indicate that 50% of the applications will result in interview requests. Therefore, you can expect 5 potential interviews within the first couple of weeks of applying for jobs. The more interviews you receive the more choice you will have. Nothing is better than having 2 job offers on the table!

Generally speaking the entire job selection process can take up to 4 weeks (first round interview, second round interview, background checks etc). Rather than taking 14 weeks to find a job costing you $14,000.00 in lost salary, having your resume professionally written has reduced this time to 4 weeks at a cost of $4,000.00.

HOWEVER – The candidate with his new professional resume is seeking a raise of 15% or a total salary package of $57,500. Therefore the investment in the resume has generated the candidate a profit of $3,500! And has reduced the time spent on looking for a new job from 14 weeks to 4 weeks.

The investment in a professionally written resume could be the greatest investment of your life. A small cost can lead to big long term gains. Can you afford to be out of work for an extended period of time?

The journey to finding your dream job starts with a brand new professional resume.

© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com

RedStarResume: The leaders in Resume Writing, CV Writing & Cover Letter Writing

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

05
Jul

Professional Australian Resume Writing Targeting the Australian Job Market

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Do you need an Australian Resume Writer with an in depth knowledge of the Australian job market who can construct your professional resume specifically for the Australian job market?

At RedStarResume we have writers to suit every job candidate’s needs.

We can help you no matter where you are located in Australia. From working in the mines in Perth to working at an investment bank in Sydney, the team at RedStarResume will strategically target your resume to ensure that your application stands out from the crowd.

Why is the Australian Resume different?

All job markets around the world are unique in their own ways. The culture of a certain country plays a large part in how the job process works. In Australia, for example, it is neither necessary nor required to put a picture on your resume. Providing additional personal information such as date of birth, marital status, religion etc. is also very much discouraged. In order to write a good “Australian”, resume you need to have an understanding of what the Australian employer is looking for in a resume.

Highlight Achievements in your Australian resume.

Recent reports have indicated that recruitment agents and hiring managers will only spend up to 15 seconds reading your resume before deciding to either read on or delete. Once the resume has been deleted there is no way for the reader to give the resume a second chance. The number one rule with your resume is to highlight your achievements. When you apply for a certain job you can expect that a large percentage of the candidates will share relatively the same skills and education as you. In order to stand out above the competition you need to highlight your achievements and show the reader where you can specifically add value to their business.

Top 5 tips to ensure your new Australian resume is targeted toward the Australian Job Market:

Achievements are essential – Use examples to back up statements

Target your resume – Each time you apply for a job, ensure that your resume and cover letter is targeting that specific job.

Use correct “British English” – Words such as “realize” are spelt with a “z” using American English, but in Australia the “z” is replaced with an “s” – “Realise”

No picture or unnecessary personal information

Use strategic keywords (Strategic selection of keywords and phrases designed to highlight your resume and cover letter)


© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com

RedStarResume the number 1 choice for resume writing services. With our 100% satisfaction guarantee, we will be right by your side the entire journey until you have secured your brand new job.

The journey to finding your dream job starts with a brand new professional resume

RedStarResume have Resume Writers available in every major city throughout Australia

Click here to get started:

Resume Writers Australia

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

10
Jun

How NOT to write a cover letter!

By RedStarResume No comments yet

It is not easy writing a cover letter – in fact many job candidates often find it harder writing the cover letter then the resume! In my experience I have seen fantastic cover letters, average covers and as you can see cover letters that will guarantee you will not get the job!

Tips on how NOT to write a cover letter!

2W9X5JREZ4D4

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

06
Jun

Rate My Resume

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Is your resume good enough to get you the interview?

Will a hiring manager or recruiter read your entire resume?

Does your resume highlight your skills and achievements?

CLICK BELOW

RATE MY RESUME

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

23
May

What is the most important aspect of Professional Resume Writing?

By RedStarResume No comments yet

One of the biggest mistakes which candidates make with their resume writing or CV writing is preparing the document from their point of view. I recently sat down with a young lady who had graduated university top of her class and was seeking a role with one of the large law firms. She had written her professional resume and cover letter and was now ready to begin the application process. The resume was perfectly formatted and presented. As a graduate with no prior work experience she focused her professional resume on her academic achievements and also the extra curricular activities and community work she had been involved with over the years. From a readers perspective I was able to gain a very good first impression or insight into this candidate. Everything was perfect besides one major element. At the top of her resume was her name which she had bolded to make it stand out but had also changed the font colour to pink!

Does a Professional Resume have pink colour?

I couldn’t believe my eyes that she had decided to use a pink font on her resume. When I asked her why she had done this she said that she liked the colour and it also made her name stand out.

The most important aspect of writing a professional resume is targeting it towards the person who will be reading the resume. In this situation the hiring manager may be a partner in a law firm. Imagine how seriously a partner will take a resume application which has a potential candidates name in pink.

Another mistake many candidates make is trying to make their resume stand out from their competition by using fancy fonts or borders. A well formatted and presented resume and most importantly targeted resume, will stand out because of its professionalism. A hiring manager can easily identify the difference between a “fraud” resume with “bells and whistles” and a “legitimate” resume.

Ensuring that your resume stands out from the crowd is not about making the document a piece of art. How many times have you seen a resume being framed and hung up on the wall? The aim of the resume is to portray to the reader the value you can offer the business or organisation.

Remember that your resume is the first impression a hiring manager will make. Make sure that your first impression portrays the right professional image.

© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com

characters_standing_out_cro.jpg

Check out Interview Secrets Exposed

The Brand new EBook from RedStarResume “Interview Secrets Exposed” is an insider’s guide on everything you need to know in order to nail your job interview.

Follow our steps and make sure that you are well prepared to answer every possible interview question when the opportunity presents itself. This E-book is a compilation of many months of research and discussions with hiring managers and career experts in recruitment, career counselling and interviews.

The purchase of this E-book is your first step in ensuring that you get the job! Interviewing is all about research, confidence and creating a good rapport. The hiring manager needs to know that you are capable of performing the tasks of the job and also that you will be a good addition to the team.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

11
Apr

How Resumes differ from country to country

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Read my article from http://www.expatarrivals.com

Let me know what you think – How else do resumes differ from country to country?

Just how important is having a country-specific resume to your chances of getting employed? Can the resume that got you a job in the UK be used for the Australian job market? Do you really have to design a new resume depending on the country?
The answer is simple. Just as every resume and cover letter you write needs to be targeted and focused toward the company you are applying for, the same concept is applied toward the job market you are applying for. Different countries expect and require certain information to be present on resumes, and therefore it is critical that your new resume meets the unique requirements of that country.

Just because one country requires including personal details such as marital status or date of birth does not mean this standard applies to others. Not only can this be seen as inappropriate, it can also possible be illegal, and your resume will be deleted before it has even been read!

European requirements

 

Recently in Europe, the rules for resume writing changed substantially. As part of the European Union (EU), all members follow the same resume criteria and format. The Europass CV was created to “provide citizens with the opportunity to present in clear and comprehensive way information on their qualifications and competences”.

This is a fantastic idea for people applying for roles in Europe as there is a standard template to complete that avoids issues such as cultural differences and different requirements between the countries.

While this may be good for a French national applying for a role in Belgium, the rules change when applying to countries such as the USA, Australia or Asia.

  • It is typical to see information such as nationality, date of birth and gender on European and Asian resumes.
  • In South Africa it is even required to have even further personal information such as ID number and ethnicity (the latter to clarify one’s BEE or affirmative action status).
  • In Australia and the US, however, stricter privacy laws make this personal information unnecessary. In the US, an employer has no legal right to know your age. (They do have a right, however, to ask your age only if local, state, or federal law requires that employees be over a certain age.)

USA differences

 

copyright Black Bird TeesIn today’s society the terms “CV” and “resume” are often used interchangeably. Take note, however, if you are applying for a job in the USA, as there are major differences between a “resume” and a “CV”.

An American Curriculum Vitae (CV) is NOT the same as a CV from countries around the world.  What countries outside of the USA know as a “Curriculum Vitae” (or “CV”) is called also called a “resume” in the US. A “Curriculum Vitae” in America is not a resume – it is a longer document and is usually written only by a researcher, educator, or academic.

Thinking of including a picture?

 

When it comes to putting a picture on your resume, different countries have different approaches. In the UK you would never attach a photo, whereas in Germany or France you would. Many Asian countries also include pictures with their applications. In the US and Australia it is not recommended or encouraged.

My personal opinion is to leave your picture off your resume. The most important aspect of your resume is the content and it’s vital to ensure that the reader of your resume is more interested in your skills than what you look like.

With all the differences between resumes around the world, it’s important that you do your research into the country before submitting your resume. A professional resume writer can often help you with the “dos” and “do nots” of resume writing in a certain country, and he or she can also provide assistance with resume format, structure and presentation.

With any resume (no matter where you are applying in the world), focus your content on achievements and value-added duties you have performed. At the end of the day, the employer wants to know how you can add value and what skills, experience and expertise you can bring to the business.

And finally, never embellish or fabricate achievements or qualifications. These will often be exposed sooner or later and can result in dismissal, expulsion or even criminal prosecution in those countries with punitive legal codes.

http://www.expatarrivals.com/article/how-resumes-differ-from-country-to-country

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Latest News

Newsletter

Get Free Career Tips and the latest jobs Market news in your email every month