If you’re considering applying for a pharmaceutical sales job, or any job for that matter, then you certainly need a stellar resume. You see, competition is fierce and your really and truly need to stand out. After all, you only have 15 seconds to impress a potential employer so you’ve got to make every second count. Well, when you have a powerful resume in hand, you can impress and will get hired. A stellar resume causes a potential employer to stand up and take notice. In essence, it says, “Hey check me out—I’ve got what it takes to sell your pharmaceutical products.”

But, how do you create such a phenomenal resume? Well, it really isn’t that hard. Even if you’re no professional resume writer or have never created a resume in your entire life, you can still razzle and dazzle potential employers with your resume writing skills. In this article, we’ll tell you how to craft a great resume that gets you hired. So, put down the job ads and get ready to learn all about the persuasive art of writing great resumes.

1. First of all, you should know what a great resume looks like. To learn, visit your local library or book store and pick up some great resume books and peruse them. See what styles that really “tickle your fancy” and see which ones make you cringe with boredom. Figure out which ones work and which ones don’t. Buy and study them and do your best to emulate the resume writing style.

2. Second, know the difference between a functional and a chronological resume and then decide which one would serve you best. For instance, if you’re making a career change then you might craft up a functional resume that highlights your skills and qualifications. If however you’re staying in the same field, a chronological resume would work best.

3. Third, make sure that your resume reflects your accomplishments and unique personality. Not only will this help you stand out from the competition but will also create an image of professionalism in the hiring manager’s mind. Be careful to accentuate the positive and not the negative. For instance, if you’re currently a homemaker but are trying to get into the sales field, perhaps you can include your volunteer opportunities and how your girl scout troop exceeded sales goals by 100%.

4. Fourth, make sure that your resume is a true representation of you. Don’t embellish your strong points to simply make yourself sound good. Instead be honest but positive and make sure that you. It is never a good idea to misrepresent facts, exaggerate them, or lie on your resumes. Employers are like detectives and when they do background checks, they can find out about your untruths and this could be very bad indeed. Only use verifiable information.

5. Fifth, know that content and presentation is what counts the most. When you’re crafting your new resume, make sure that it looks professional and contains absolutely no typing errors whatsoever. Use quality resume writing paper and try out various styles and fonts to really make it come alive. You might even consider adding a professional photograph to the top for sales resumes.

6. Sixth, remember that grammatical errors are intolerable. They not only signal that you’re sloppy but also signify that you’ll likely do a crappy job as well. And trust me, no employer wants to hire a sloppy worker. To be on the safe side, ask someone else to proof your resume when you’re done proofing it to make sure that you don’t miss any errors.

In conclusion, you can create an outstanding resume that attracts an employer’s attention and helps you land that dream pharmaceutical job of your dreams. You simply have to put forth a little effort, some thought and let those qualifications shine through.

By: Ryan Stewart

About the Author:

Statistics show that almost 99% of resumes are never even looked at, and if you are looking for a job this can be a daunting statistic. You may be wondering how you can get in that 1% of resumes that are actually considered. Well, the key to having an employer take a look at your resume is making sure that your resume stands out among the hundreds of resumes that were submitted. If you really want to land a job, then you need to make sure that you have a bombshell resume that will have employers calling you in for an interview. The following are some tips that can help you create a resume that will draw attention.

Tip #1 – Have an Objective – One of the first things you need to do is to make sure that your resume has an objective. Many people do not even place an objective on their resume; however if you want to be noticed, an objective is an important part. The objective is basically a powerful statement that you can use to show why you would be an asset to the company and how you meet the qualifications for the job. This gives your entire resume directions and jumps out when employers are looking through a variety of resumes.

Tip #2 – Use Powerful Headings – The use of powerful headings within your resume is extremely important as well. Having headings that use action words will basically jump out at the reader, causing them to pay attention to what your resume has to say. These headings are especially helpful in drawing the attention of the reader to specific qualifications you have the fit the qualifications needed for the job you are applying for.

Tip #3 – Market Yourself – One of the most important tips to remember when you are creating your resume is to market yourself. Your resume is in essence a sales letter about you. Use the resume to show your strengths and what a great employee you will be if hired. Be a great salesperson and sell the employer on yourself with your resume so you will get the call for an interview.

Tip #4 – Keep the Resume Short – Some people seem to have the idea that they need to have multiple paged resumes in order to get the attention of the employers. This is far from the truth, and more than likely the long resumes are going to be some of the first to hit the trash can. Make sure that you include the most important things about yourself, keep it truthful, and avoiding cramming in unneeded information like all of your high school achievements and extra curricular activities.

While it can seem difficult to land a new job, having a great resume can help you land the job you need quickly. So, if you want to make sure that employers are calling your number, you need to be sure that you have a resume that will help you land the job. Use these tips for your resume, and no doubt your phone will be ringing soon with an invitation for an interview.

By: Michael Murray

About the Author:

Many people are now using the internet to apply for jobs. There are many online job portals where one can post their resume and have it searched by thousands of employers on a daily basis. Employees can also hide their resumes and search for jobs themselves and apply for the jobs right online, without having to leave the comfort of their home. In addition, more newspapers are directing people to their online edition for job ads instead of printing them in the paper, which is more costly. Some companies actually require that people apply for jobs online. When searching for a job online, you will need an online resume. An online resume is similar to a regular resume and there are a variety of ways you can build an online resume.

One way to build an online resume is to use the word processor on your computer. In this case, you will not want to use an online template, but a simple blank sheet of paper. You should state your contact information at the top of the online resume, just as you would with a regular resume, including your telephone number and e-mail address. It is not necessary, when building an online resume, to add your street address. You will most likely be contacted via e-mail or telephone.

The resume that you build on your word processor will not be fancy. Use a normal font, such as Times New Roman 12 so that it will be easy to read. Be sure to list all of your previous employment experience and your education. You should list the dates of your employment beginning with the last place where you were employed. You should also list your duties. You may have to be a bit concise with an online resume as you will be limited for space, so list your accomplishment and skills in paragraph from instead of by bullet points.

You will also need to list your education and degrees as well as any special skills or accomplishments that you may have that will help you attain the job you seek. In most cases, the employment objective will already be included as you will be directly responding to an online ad.

Once you have completed your resume on your word processor, you can upload it onto one of the job portals on the internet. There are many different job seeking websites on the internet and it is a good idea to list your resume on all of them. They are usually free for employees seeking jobs. If you are still employed and do not want your company to know you are seeking new employment, you can hide your online resume from employers and then just search the sites for jobs that interest you.

Another way to build an online resume is to use the template provided on the website. They will ask you questions and you simply need to answer. The resume will be build for you. Be sure to add all of your employment experience. On many of these, it gives the impression that you can only add one past employer. Make sure you click on the edit button so you can add all of your previous employment experience when building an online resume.

Once your online resume is complete, you will get a chance to view it and make any changes. Once you are satisfied that all of the information on your online resume is correct, you can publish it to the website. Be prepared for many different employment agencies to contact you once you apply for a job online. Also be prepared for some scams that prey on those seeking employment, such as work at home opportunities, multi level marketing schemes and get rich quick plans. However, an online resume is really the best way to seek employment in this day and age. I not only saves time, it gets your resume into the hands of many more employers than you would if you were mailing or faxing the resumes.

One good thing about building an online resume is that if you are unsure of which type of job you are seeking, you can build many different resumes. You can change around your skills to suit the different jobs that are available online, but should not embellish those skills so that you do not make a fool of yourself when you go in for the interview.

An online resume is easy to build and a great way to find many different employment opportunities. Many employers are only using online websites to seek prospective employees. A online resume is the way of the future and absolutely necessary when applying for employment today.

By: Mario R. Churchill

About the Author:

So, you are in the process of creating your resume so you can acquire your dream job. Congratulations! Creating a resume can seem daunting, but has been made easier with the advent of the internet, word processing programs that have different resume format samples and resume software. Anyone with a computer can easily create their own resume, but must be sure to follow the different rules for creating a resume.

One resume tip that is very important is to make sure that you include all of your contact information at the top of your resume. Many people feel that because they are sending along a cover letter, they do not need to include their name, address, phone number and e-mail address at the top of their resume. What many people do not realize is that cover letters often get separated from resumes and there is nothing more frustrating to an employer than receiving a good resume that has all of the qualifications that he or she is looking for in an employee without a name or any contact information.

Another important resume tip is clearly state your objective. The prospective employee may have dozens of ads for employees advertised. How will he or she know what job you are applying for unless you state this in your resume? Under your name and contact information should be a heading about your career objective. You can actually separate this into two categories. One should be for the position which you are seeking. The other can be what you hope to attain in the future. If, for example, you are seeking the position of a newspaper reporter but aspire to be an editor or a features writer, this can be outlined in your resume as employment sought and career objective.

Still another resume tip is to make sure that you do not understate your past experience, including all of the tasks that you performed at your old job, or know how to perform, that pertain to the position which you are seeking. Many people include all of their tasks in a short paragraph, which does not impress many perspective employers. It is better to list all of the tasks and knowledge in bullet point format so that it makes it easier for the employer to see just what you can do. This is not the time to be shy or modest. Highlighting your accomplishments, knowledge and past experience can not be too underestimated when it comes to your resume.

Writing why you left your past job is not necessary to put on your resume. Use this as a tip as this is not necessary at all and considered unprofessional. You will most likely be asked why you left your prior employment during your interview. Do not badmouth your last place of employment, even if your boss was a reincarnation of Attila The Hun. Just say that you are seeking an opportunity for new growth.

Another important resume tip is not to discuss salary on your resume. Do not put down how much you are making at your current job or how much money you expect to earn at the new job. While some employers will ask that you state your salary qualifications in your cover letter, this is never acceptable on a resume. Many employees who ask that prospective employees state their salary requirements in their cover letter tend to pay low wages and do not want to waste their time with anyone who expects to be paid enough money to make a living. Never put salary information on your resume.

Still yet another important resume tip is to make your resume easy to read. Using colored paper, fancy fonts and photos may look really nice, but might seem overwhelming for an employer and they may consider you unprofessional. Use classic formats and traditional fonts to play it safe.

A resume tip that can not be too underestimated is to make sure that you put down your educational experience from the last college or university that you attended to the first. If you have a post graduate degree, that should come first under the Education heading, along with the degree and any awards. Your undergraduate university or college should come second along with degrees and accomplishments. Those with post graduate degrees do not have to put down their high school information.

While you do not want to give your prospective employer a book about your life in the form of a resume, nor do you want to cheat yourself out of outlining your skills and accomplishments. Do not hesitate to make your resume more than one page if your accomplishments, experience and education warrants this. It is better not to underestimate yourself than to keep your resume short and sweet. This is a very important resume tip.

When creating your resume, pay heed of the above resume tips and create a resume that will reflect all of the reasons why you are the correct person for the job as well as a resume that reflects your personality. One valuable resume tip is to be sure that you present your best qualities and allow them to shine through when you are eventually called for an interview.

By: Mario Churchill

About the Author:

in a job hunt, nothing will negatively impact your success more than filling your resume with your duties, focusing on overused phrases, and spelling out a dry list of your jobs. The reason?

Employers want to hire not only a person that meets the qualifications for a particular role, but a SOLUTION–a candidate that can help solve business problems, lead work teams to productivity, or deliver cost savings to the organization.

All too often, job hunters commit a cardinal error by loading up their resumes with the wrong kind of information, meaning that the document fails to answer the “So what?” question for hiring managers.

In effect, this writing style will put your qualifications into a category whereby your background is seen as identical to other candidates vying for the same job-and that can’t be a good thing.

To correct this problem, start with a fundamental shift in the way you view the purpose of your resumechanging your focus from a dry list of “here’s what I did” to “here’s what I can do for YOU.”

Here are 3 main clues that your resume needs an overhaul in order to move an employer’s response from “So what?” to “Call for an interview:”

1) You forgot to emphasize results.

Today’s hiring managers are looking for consistent proof of performance. So how can you provide it? Start with a list of your contributions to the team and the company, then describe the effect on the employer’s bottom line.

The idea, of course, is to RID your resume of the obvious (everyone knows that an accountant manages the general ledger, managers supervise, and network administrators monitor servers), while giving employers a clear picture of the extent of what you can do.

Many people think that employers are focused on job duties and don’t want more details, while just the opposite is true. It’s of utmost importance to give the outcome of each task that you’ve initiated or completed while at work.

To do this, take EACH resume sentence and scrutinize it for results. Does it present just the facts, or does it convey what happened?

Rewrite each sentence with a clear focus on what happened after you took on that project, led a new team or developed new policies. You’ll be amazed at the difference in the responses to your resume.

2) You failed to be specific about your achievements.

This is probably the biggest problem found in most resumes circulating the Internet. It’s concise, focused description of your accomplishments that lands the interview.

For example, say you increased sales – by HOW MUCH? You implemented changes for efficiency that reduced hiring – by HOW MANY PEOPLE? If you increased new business – by WHAT PERCENTAGE?

“Grew revenue by 435% to $5 million by winning major contracts,” for example, drives your point home better than “Provided contract negotiation support.”

The best way to come up with these figures is to review each sentence in your resume to see if it can be quantified. Make a list of questions such as the ones noted above, and ask yourself for additional detail as if you were at a job interview.

Remember that figures in this case speak much louder than anything else you can use. Quantifying your contributions is an absolute MUST in order to make your credentials stand out above others, and to make the case that you bring verifiable strengths to your next job.

3) You copied or re-used phrases.

It seems basic, but many candidates bore hiring authorities by using the same wording repeatedly, or re-use what they’ve seen elsewhere.

For example, how catchy is the phrase “Responsible for…?” Yet, it populates the average resume at least a half-dozen times. Essentially, if you don’t use interesting verbiage on your resume, then don’t expect much interest from the reader.

A resume should be written to engage the hiring audience so that they want to know MORE about you, not less.

The good news is that there are more than 170,000 words in the English language, meaning that you have a lot of choices.

For example, “managed” can be changed to “directed,” “spearheaded,” “oversaw,” “championed,” “led,” etc. As you can see, there’s no need to re-use the same information to convey your point.

Revitalize your resume to deliver a powerful, compelling message, using what professional resume writers call “Power Verbs”, by consulting a thesaurus.

In summary, remember that your resume’s job is to give employers an accurate and powerful picture of your skills, and that going against conventional, outdated styles can be the right thing to do.

Since reading hundreds of resumes can wear down even the most energetic hiring manager, it’s best to leave the tedious resume wording for use by someone else, in order to market yourself as the PERFECT SOLUTION that will produce bottom-line results.

By: anonymous

About the Author:

What is the difference between a CV and a resume?

By Sam Roberts – Website Copywriter, Internet Researcher and Advertising Copywriter

Is there a difference?

I imagine that many people, on reading the title of this article, laughed smugly to themselves, then wandered off thinking vague thoughts about the English and Americans having different names for the same thing. If you were one of these people, then don’t worry – you’re right! Or at least you’re partially right. In general, CVs are used throughout most of the world, while resumes are the common format in America. However, there are significant differences between the two documents, and if you plan to succeed in the employment market it is important that you are familiar with the features and uses of both. Let’s go through them one at a time.

The differences in brief

At first glance, the differences between the two seem slight. Both consist of a structured list of facts that allows you to impart relevant information about your skills and achievements to an employer as quickly and simply as possible.

Although in essence they both serve the same purpose, the main difference between a CV and a resume is that a CV acts as a complete record of your professional history, while a resume is a short, targeted list of transferable skills and accomplishments, intended to show how you can be of specific benefit to the particular company to which you are applying.

As I mentioned earlier, throughout most of the world, the CV is the standard format for job applications. However, in the US, resumes are more common, and CVs are reserved almost completely for jobs in academia or when applying for grants. As a result, many international workers possess both a CV and a resume and choose between them as necessary.

In the following sections, I shall discuss the features of each type of document in more detail, and close with a brief look at how to decide which one is best for you.

Features of a CV

A CV, or Curriculum Vitae, to give it its Latin name, is an account of your entire education and employment history. The term translates as ‘course of life’, and it really is that – a record of your working life so far. It is far more detailed than a resume, from which elements are often excluded if they are considered irrelevant. A CV should include everything you’ve ever done, listed in reverse chronological order, to make it easier to prioritise more recent information. As a result, a CV is longer than a resume, although two pages is the recommended length.

Information in a CV is arranged according to subheadings, to make it easier for the reader to quickly skim through and find the information he or she needs. Remember, your CV is intended to let prospective employers find out about you in the hope that they will offer you a job, so it’s in your interest to make it easy to understand!

The sections of a CV may include the following, although many sections can be moved up or down depending on what information is relevant for the specific job.

Profile/Objectives – a short statement, tailored to fit the requirements of the prospective employer;

Education/Qualifications – a list of institutions and courses, with grades awarded and dates attended;

Skills/Competencies – any skills or achievements that are relevant to the job. You can include most things, but be sensible – there is no need to mention the 10m swimming badge you got when you were six!

Career Summary – this should be the most detailed part, it can be moved higher up the document if necessary. Each job should have a short description of the skills you used and your achievements within the role. A few bullet points are sufficient, with more detailed accounts of more recent/relevant positions.

Features of a resume

A resume should be a shorter, more focused account of your relevant skills and achievements. Although the exact length of a resume is open to debate, in general it should not exceed one page in length, and it’s safer to be conventional; after all, you want to get the job. It’s fine to miss things out of a resume to keep the length down; you should only include the things that are most relevant to the position you are targeting. Resumes also often miss out some of the more personal details that CVs include, such as hobbies and interests.

As with CVs, resumes are usually organised into a few essential sections. However, one key difference between a CV and a resume is that resumes are focused on your skills and accomplishments, rather than providing an objective account of your history. As a result, resumes often feature aggrandising language, and tend to be more obviously self-promoting than CVs.

You can afford to be a bit less formal with the structure of a resume than with a CV, and there is a wider scope for creative presentation. That said, there are three main formats that are generally used:

Chronological – this is the most common format, and is very similar in organisation to a CV;

Functional – your skills/qualifications act as a backbone, around which the rest of the resume is structured;

Focused – as above, but with the content organised in relation to the targeted position.

It is often better to stick to one of these tried and tested formats than to attempt to wow an employer with your own unique design. These have a chance of backfiring if your reader doesn’t like them, so why take the risk? The only time I could see the point of designing your own format is if you are entering a creative field, such as design.

What to use, and when to use it

The general rule to go by here is that if you are in America, use a resume, and if you are anywhere else in the world, use a CV. However, if you are applying for an academic position, or for a grant, it is better to send a CV, regardless of where you are. Things are further complicated by the rising popularity in the UK of short CVs, which, at less than two pages, are confusingly similar to a resume.

One of the main reasons to have a short CV was to stand out from the crowd, but almost everybody follows this model and it no longer has the same impact as it used to. As a result, the old style of CV is making a comeback, for the same reasons that it disappeared in the first place. Whether you choose to follow the trend, or stick with convention is up to you. Personally, I have both kinds, and I decide which version to send out on a per-company basis.

In fact, it is safer to make two versions anyway. Set aside some time and write yourself both a CV and a resume; it doesn’t take much effort, and it means that you’ll always have the correct document to hand, whatever you are asked for. You can even hire a copywriting agency to do it for you. Copywriters write both CVs and resumes on a regular basis, and will be familiar with the conventions of each. If you don’t want to pay for a copywriter, have a look at some CV and resume samples and use them to help you write your own.

You’d be surprised how many people don’t know the difference between a CV and a resume. Whichever one you decide to go for, follow the conventions and write to the strengths of your chosen format, and the interviews should come flooding in. You’ll soon be on your way to that dream job.

By: Sam Roberts

About the Author:

In a job search, your first introduction to an employer is almost always your resume. As such, it is absolutely essential that your resume immediately capture the attention of your reader. But how do you do that? When your resume is sitting on a desk with 475 other resumes, how do you ensure that your resume rises to the top, making the cut to be placed in the “keeper” file rather than the circular file? More importantly, how do you ensure that your resume compels the recipient to actually pick up the phone and call you for an interview?

The solution, of course, is to remember that your resume is a marketing document. It is NOT an autobiography. Your resume is an advertisementan advertisement that is selling YOU as the ideal solution to an employer’s problems.

To achieve this, your resume must present your key skills, qualifications, experiences, and accomplishments in a way that is both convincing and compelling. Your resume must be written to clearly illustrate to the reader that you can meet their needs and help them to achieve their goals, all the while adding value to their organization and delivering a strong return on their investment in hiring you.

One of the most common resume writing mistakes is the development of a responsibilities-focused resume. Job descriptions simply don’t distinguish you from anyone else that does the same or a similar job as you. A resume focused on responsibilities and job descriptions illustrates to the reader how you are ordinary. Instead, your goal is to show the reader how you are EXTRAordinary. To do that, your resume must be focused on achievements and results. Achievement-focused resumes engage readers, essentially painting a picture of how you have added value in the past and thus, helping the reader to envision how you will add value in the future to their organization. By creating the achievement-focused resume, you illustrate your business savvy, your understanding of the bottom line, and your track record for contributing to it.

But, for many people, writing an achievement-focused resume is easier said than done. Are you like so many other people who have trouble identifying exactly what their achievements in the workplace have been? Maybe you have even worried that you don’t have any accomplishments of note to include in your resume. Let me put your mind at ease right now. This simply isn’t true! Every single person has value to add and unique contributions to make.

Rewriting your resume to emphasize achievements and results is almost always the single most impactful improvement you can make. If your resume isn’t generating results, rewriting it to emphasize the past challenges you have faced, the actions you have taken to meet those challenges, and the benefits of those actions, will likely have a dramatic positive impact on your job search results.

If you, like so many others, are struggling to identify and communicate your achievements, the following 50 questions will help.

1. What is special about the way you do your job?

2. What do you do in a different way or better than other people in the same position as you?

3. What does your employer like about you and/or praise you for?

4. Were there particular areas in which your employer thought you were outstanding?

5. Were you given any special honors, recognition, or awards? What did you do to earn it?

6. What positive things do your performance appraisals have to say about you?

7. When you were hired, was there a lot of competition for the position? Why were you selected?

8. In what ways is each of your past employers better off for having had you work for them?

9. Does your company set goals or objectives for you and have you met or exceeded them? Explain.

10. Have you met any particularly hard-to-accomplish goals? How did you accomplish this?

11. Were you hired to meet a particular challenge or solve a particular problem? What was it, what have you done to meet those expectations, and what have been the outcomes?

12. What was the biggest problem or challenge you were faced with in each position? Did you solve the problem or meet the challenge? How and what were the results?

13. Did you ever have to overcome any adversity or ambiguity to accomplish something important to the company? Explain. How did you do it and what were the results?

14. Have you ever made any suggestions that were implemented? What was the result?

15. What have you done that was innovative? What was the result?

16. Have you helped to influence change in your company? In what way? What was the result?

17. Have you been given any special assignments? Why and what were they?

18. Have you helped your employer increase sales? By what percentage or amount?

19. Have you helped streamline operations in any way? In what way and what was the result?

20. Did you generate new business? By what percentage or amount?

21. Did you bring in new clients? By what percentage or number?

22. Did you build partnerships or affiliations with new organizations? What have been the results?

23. Have you led your company into expanded markets? By what percentage and how did this impact sales?

24. Have you opened new markets for your company? What was the impact?

25. Did you save your company money? How much and under what circumstances?

26. Have you ever developed a new system or process? Was it implemented? If so, what were the results?

27. Did you improve customer relationships in some way? Under what circumstances and what were the results?

28. Have you done anything to increase efficiency? How did you do it and what were the results?

29. Did you meet a particularly aggressive or important deadline? If so, what difference did this make to your company?

30. Have you ever developed procedures to speed repetitive tasks? What were the results?

31. Did you bring a project in under budget? How? How was the money you saved used?

32. Have you ever recommended a new product or program that was implemented? What was the result?

33. Have you ever helped launch a new product or program? What were the results?

34. Have you ever made recommendations to improve a product or program? What were the results?

35. Have you taken the lead on any projects or special initiatives? How successful was the effort?

36. Have you ever taken on any new responsibilities that weren’t part of your job? Did you ask for the new responsibilities or were they assigned to you? Why were you selected?

37. What have you done to increase productivity? By what percentage or amount?

38. Have you improved communications in your company? In what way, with whom, and what was the outcome?

39. Have you ever done anything to increase profits? How did you do it and by how much?

40. Have you helped your employer cut costs in any way? How did you do it and by how much?

41. Have you helped your company grow business in any way? How did you do it, by how much, and what was the result?

42. Were you involved in any negotiations? What was your role? How did this benefit the company?

43. Have you done anything to help control costs? What did you do? What was the impact?

44. Did your work or the results you produced stand out in some way as better than your predecessor? Explain.

45. Did you do something to correct inconsistencies or errors? What was the problem? What did you do? What was the result?

46. Did you accomplish something special for a customer? How was this important for your customer? How was this important for your employer?

47. Do you have a strong record of on-time completion of projects? Explain. How has this benefited your employer?

48. Have you ever done anything to increase cash flow? What did you do? What was the result?

49. Have you led or served on teams whose work had a major impact on the company? Explain. What was the benefit to the company? What was your role on the team?

50. Did you foresee any problems and proactively implement solutions to avert the problem? Explain.

By: Michelle Dumas

About the Author:

Job—How to Land the Big One

Now that the economy is getting better, you may be ready to move up to a significantly bigger job—either in your present company, or a new one. You may have had to put up with stagnant pay raises, the worry of downsizing and burnout from handling two jobs because of productivity demands. So how do you increase your chances moving up, and landing a really great job?

According to a recent survey by Novations Selection, Development and Communication, a performance improvement firm, nearly half of U.S. companies now face an employee exodus. Several other surveys back them up, as well, and the reasons given are similar to yours: dissatisfaction with pay; burnout; pent-up demand. So this is probably a better time than ever to try to land your next big job.

Provided you can trust your boss, my first suggestion is to talk to the boss and express your concerns. An honest, ethical boss will respect your feelings and guide you to the best possible move—whether that’s inside or outside the company. If your decision is to build your career with another company, start by learning all you can about it. Check out several web sites (like Hoover’s On-Line.) Use your professional network to contact anyone in that company to learn more about the position. In either case, try to get a job description to target your campaign.

Prepare a cover letter that introduces yourself, summarizes key results you’ve accomplished in your career, and highlights to specific features of your resumé. Prepare a resume that presents a clear, relevant, persuasive picture of why you think you’re the best candidate for the position.

Then try to phone the decision-maker for the new job and ask about the process for applying. (I don’t recommend sending out unsolicited resumes; many just get tossed out. And some may wind up back on your boss’s desk.) It’s so much better when you’ve showed enthusiasm as you talked to the right person, then followed up with a personal letter and powerful resume. That way, your name may be more familiar when your resume arrives. You might have an added advantage by writing on the envelope, “As we discussed.”

Make sure your resume has key words that are linked to the job description and your level of management or technical expertise. Today, many companies use computer programs to scan resumes electronically and select only those that match the criteria for the job.

Prepare for the Interview

Once you secure an interview, plan to talk about how your up-to-date skills would match the needs of the job. Show that you’ve read widely in the field and are current with the cutting edge of what’s going on in your field. Plan your answers to potential questions, like these:

• Walk me through that (situation, meeting, discussion, etc.).

• What happened then?

• How did you feel about it?

• What would you do differently if you had to do it again?

• Can you give me a specific example of a time that you acted unwisely?

• What was going through your mind at the time?

• How did you get involved in your last team assignment?

• What was your last big challenge?

• What role did you play?

• How did you get that role?

• If I were a fly on the wall, what would I have seen taking place?

• What other key things happened?

• How do you make decisions?

• How did you feel about the decision process you usually use?

• Tell me about one of those times when you were especially frustrated.

• Especially proud?

• What did you do in each situation?

• What were the critical points that stick in your mind?

• What kind of thought and planning was involved in your last major decision?

• What do you regret most about your career?

• Tell me when and how you first became interested in _______(discipline).

• What were your thoughts that led you to major in (college major)?

• What courses were most challenging? Why?

• With (work experience), what were your typical duties and tasks?

• In what area did/do you spend the most time?

• What are your most significant skill areas?

• How did you gain that knowledge/skill?”

• Tell me about the equipment, tools, machinery with which you work?”

• What has been your most challenging technical project?”

• You have seen the job description; what seems to interest you the most?

• How is it appealing?”

• Tell me about your specific experience with (equipment, technology, etc.).

• How do you assess your skills in relationship to this position?

• Where are you strongest technically? How so?

• Where would you say you are you the weakest in relationship to this position?

• How has technology affected the way that you work?

• Tell me about your short and long term career goals.

• Why do you want this job?

Level and complexity of previous work

• What did your job at Acme Company consist of?

• Could you describe a typical day on your job?

• What sort of things took up most of your time on this job?

• What kind of decisions did you typically make on this job?

Extent of job responsibilities

• Could you explain just where you fit into the organization?

• Could you tell me a little about your boss’s job?

• How much contact, typically, did you have with your boss?

• In your contacts with your boss, what kinds of things went on?

• To what extent did your boss leave you alone?

• What kind of decisions did he/she expect you to make?

• What kind of staff assistance did you normally get?”

• In what areas?

Motivation

• How did you happen to go into that job in the first place?

• What attracted you to that kind of work?

• Why did you decide to make a change?

• What are some of the things that kept you working at that job?

• Describe what you would consider to be the perfect job for you—

disregarding any past jobs you’ve had.

Attitudes and feelings

• What did you like best about the job

• What kind of things didn’t you like about the job?

• What, in the job, did you find particularly satisfying?

• How did you feel about the company as a whole?

• What did you like about the company?

• Was there anything about the company or the manner in which they

operated that you didn’t particularly like or agree with?

• How would you describe the kind of company it is?

• What kind of atmosphere or climate would you say it has?

• How much of a challenge did you find the job?

• What aspects of the job were challenging?

• How did you feel about the progress you made?

Questions That Probe More Deeply

• What caused you to consider leaving your present job?

• Describe for me a typical day on your present (last) job.

• What particular part of your job did you like best? Least?

• How did you like working in that department (assignment, office)?

• If you could have changed things, what would you have suggested?

• What’s the most difficult situation you have ever had to work in?

• If you could write you own job description, what would it be?

• This new job I’ve just described to you–what about it is most appealing?

• How does this job compare with others you are now considering?

• What do you eventually want to do? Five years from now? Ten years?

• What has been your greatest creative achievement?

• Tell me about your most recent creative disappointment, when you just

couldn’t get the job done in your own way, on your own terms.

• What additional information do you think I should have about you?

• Where do you want to wind up, professionally, at the height of your career?

• Tell me why you prefer to work alone (or, in a group).

• Why do you prefer to work in a structured (unstructured) situation?

• How do you respond to criticism?

• How do you respond to strong creative direction?

•Tell me why you like specific directions (non-specific assignments).

What you the candidate should ask–

• Why is the position available?

• What happened to the incumbent?

• What are some of the primary objectives of the job?

• What are you looking for in a candidate?

• What type and how much training will be provided?

• What is a typical workday like?

• What are the skills and abilities considered necessary?

• What does it take to be successful here?

• What do you like best about _____?

• What do you like least about _____?

• How is performance evaluated?

• What are key priorities for the company/ department/job?

• What’s the process for making decisions here?

• How much independence of thinking and acting do you look for in an employee?

• Where will this job lead to?

A final thought: Follow up every interview with a thank-you note briefly noting why you’re excited about being considered for the position. It’s a great opportunity to re-sell yourself by recalling two or three key points you made in the interview. Good luck!

By: Bill Repp

About the Author:

Have you ever tried to hire employees without posting the job in the newspaper, on the door of your business, or on the Internet? Not doing so makes it difficult to find high quality employees. Not doing so also makes it difficult to fill a position that needs filling quickly.

Luckily, there are many different methods in which you can easily post a job. It may be sort of easy to send a classified ad to the local newspaper, but that is something that is slowly becoming obsolete. This is because the Internet has opened up a completely new doorway to how jobs are listed. With the invention of job listings on the Internet, less and less people actually frequent their newspapers when looking for jobs. They go to job seeker sites and look at the listings there. As a matter of fact, that is how a lot of people get their jobs nowadays.

The evolution of job listings

Let’s step back a bit and look at the days in which the newspaper was the only option. People would go through the lists of jobs and would circle what they thought they could do and would then call the number in the ad. This could be a frustrating process because it was time consuming.

All of a sudden, the Internet came to be and job listing sites were added to the Internet. It took a while for employers to catch on, especially since not all businesses had Internet access like most do today. Nowadays, a job comes open and the boss can go onto the Internet and list the job opening on a website within moments of the job coming open. In just a matter of minutes, hundreds of people can see that ad.

Being that hundreds of people see the ad in any given day, it can be difficult on the boss because he or she has to sift through all of those replies. There are resumes everywhere with qualified people busting at the seams. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. This isn’t a bad thing because this means that there are plenty of qualified people to choose from. Eventually, the boss is able to find a qualified individual and the job is filled in no time.

Another thing that has happened with online job listings is that individuals are more able to find other jobs in other towns and recruiters can recruit from anywhere. It used to not be this easy. Back in the day, someone would have to call or they would have to hear it through the “grapevine” that a job was available with a company across the country. Now all it takes is a surf through a job listings site and jobs can be found on the other side of the world. It is utterly amazing and has done a lot for competition within businesses and even the economy. The best employees are placed within the best companies and some employees are even fought over because they are incredible workers. The Internet has helped revolutionize this.

How these sites work

As the employer, job listing sites makes your job easier. Basically, you just sign up for an account and you then follow the instructions to post an ad. It only takes a few minutes. You don’t have to worry about mailing off your ad and waiting for it to be in a newspaper. It will be live in no time after you have submitted. From there you don’t have to worry about anything other than reviewing the many resumes that come your way.

Job listings sites are easy to use. Basically, you fill out a form asking you what kind of job you’re looking for, where you want to work, and what kind of job title you want. This is the best way for you to target the kind of job you want instead of having to search through all sorts of listings. In the days of classifieds in newspapers, you had to read ads for jobs that you did not want. Nowadays you type in what you want and you’re taken right there.

Newspapers are good for the news

Newspapers are good for the news. Most individuals have the Internet now and, even if they don’t, they will make sure they find Internet access when they’re looking for a job. They know where to find the best jobs and that is on online job listings sites. They know that they aren’t going to find a high quality job in the newspaper anyway. It seems that most of the jobs listed in the newspaper classifieds are jobs regarding work-at-home opportunities that want you to pay some sort of fee. There are also job listings for truck drivers and individuals wishing to sell cosmetics. As for the other stuff, people turn to the Internet and that’s why you should make sure your job listings are listed there and nowhere else.

To maximize your chances to land a quality employee, you can list your job opening on multiple sites. No one ever said that you had to use just one. Multiple sites work out just fine. When the job is filled, you can make sure you remove the ads from the other sites. That way you don’t continue to receive inquiries and resumes about a job that is already filled. That’s something you can’t do in a newspaper. If you pay for the ad to run for 7 days, then it is going to run for 7 days. If you find a great person on the second day, then you have 5 days that you’ve paid for that you don’t need. In the end, you will find that submitting job listings online is more cost-effective and can save you a lot of time in a number of ways. That is just the way to go, so make sure you use online job listings from now on so that you can reach a larger audience of great employees.

By: Jay Gaulard

About the Author:

Resumes and Cover Letters are your personal marketing pieces.

Your resume and cover letter are your marketing pieces when you are hunting down that perfect job.

How your resume portrays you and reflects your strengths and abilities are all part of the overall make up of your personal marketing campaign.

The rules have changed.. Simply stating the positions you have had and your duties is not enough to impress potential employers. No longer is it necessary to list every job you have ever had. Employers and human resource recruiters are busy. They do not want to be reading pages of text that is very irrelevant to the position they are looking to fill.

What is it they want to see In a resume?

Employers want to know what you did relevant to the position for which you are applying.

It does not make sense to list a job as a mechanic if you are looking for a position as a restaurant manager. Likewise, it does not make much sense to list the duties you handled as a server, if you are looking for a position as a paralegal. Ask yourself if the position is relevant to the one, for which you are hoping to gain an interview . If not, there are options to consider.

The duties you performed on the particular job may be somewhat similar or could have been useful in helping you grow in your experiences. Great! Combining all of those skills and duties from any irrelevant or less than relevant jobs into a summary of skills and experiences at the end of your resume is likely a solution. It would be best to leave out any skills, duties and experience deemed as less than semi relevant. The same holds true with listing prior employers. At the request of the interviewer, you can provide that information later. The point is to get the information most closely related and relevant to the position you are applying for out in front of the prospective employer quickly.

These are just a couple of tips on writing your resume. I do not begin to cover all that is involved.

When you want the job of your dreams, you need to have a resume that is well written and polished. It is imperative to check, double check and triple check your resume for spelling and grammar errors.

I will never forget a resume that crossed my desk a few years ago. I was looking to fill several positions for mortgage loan processors, a position requiring the ability to pay very close attention to details. The cover letter the applicant sent in stated: " I am very good at paying attention to detale." Do you think that person got an interview? Little errors such as this can destroy any chance you may have at securing the interview for the job of your dreams.

I enjoy writing resumes and cover letters. I find it challenging and inviting to create a resume that portrays the applicant in the best possible light. Equally important to having a well written and effective resume is having a professional and polished company profile for your business. A company profile is your business resume. It’s that simple of a definition. The same principles and techniques apply to both resumes and profiles. Keep in mind, that no matter which you are writing, you are looking to achieve a perfectly polished marketing document.

By: Anita Bruton

About the Author: