The Following are Articles Written by Dr. Jerry on various Resume issues:

How To Ace An Interview:

The interview ranks with the root canal as one of life's least favorite things. The best way to succeed in an interview is to follow the Boy Scout motto: "Be Prepared."

1. Know every detail of your resume - the person interviewing you generally spends less than 1 minute reviewing your qualifications. You have the advantage since you have had years to think about them.
2. Conduct practice interviews - simulate the interview situation with family and friends. It can be fun and you'll gain confidence.
3. Always dress appropriately - check all elements of your personal grooming from your shoeshine to your hair cut and makeup. Avoid extremes.
4. Be on time - plan to arrive slightly early so that you will be relaxed. It is never acceptable to be late or to arrive more than 10 minutes early.
5. Be polite to everyone you meet - you'll never know whether the receptionist is the boss's daughter if you don't get her approval.
6. Wait to be told where to sit - avoid leaning in your chair or placing anything on the desk of the interviewer - and don't try to read upside-down.
7. Get the interviewer's business card - you'll need it later for the correct spelling, title and address for your "Thank You" note.
8. Relax - It's much easier when you're prepared. Besides, interviews are never fatal.
9. Show enthusiasm - employers can often tell whether you are interested in the position or merely in need of a job. Genuine enthusiasm is always remembered.
10. Don't be modest - it isn't necessary to boast, but you need not be apologetic about your skills.
11. Smoking, perfume and after-shave lotion - don't smoke on the day of the interview and forget the perfume and after-shave. Some people have allergies.
12. Stay focused - the interviewer may have a great fish tank, but stay alert and respond clearly and concisely.
13. Salary and benefits come later - talk money and perks after you have established your value to the company.
14. Let the interviewer set the tone - if the interviewer wants details, give details, and when broader concepts are invited, give concepts.

How To Be Certain Your Job Search Will Be Successful:

Talk with anyone who has been out of work for a while and they will give you many reasons why. Some will say: "The market is slow" or "There is so much unemployment that I can't even get an interview." Others may say "I am way too overqualified for all the positions that are open" or "This town just doesn't need someone with my qualifications." Even others will say "Too much competition" or the one I love the most, "I really got shafted by my last employer and I'm not certain that I am up to the task of finding a new job/career." My experience, however, is that the reasons job searches fail is because the person looking for work developed certain skills and practices. What follows is a list of skills you need to develop to be certain of failure: (of course you COULD avoid developing these skills and be certain of success).

1. Avoid setting goals. Developing a plan to systematically look for work is hard work. Knowing where you are going and how you are going to get there takes all the fun out of the adventure. Spontaneity is much more fun than making plans.
2. Be impatient. Plan on getting a killer position almost overnight and without any effort and if that doesn't happen, be certain to give up early in order to cut your losses.
3. Don't waste any energy or give yourself extra time to eat healthy and exercise. Having a healthier mind and body will only allow you to work harder.
4. Don't take any risks, especially low stake risks. Remember if you take risks something might go wrong and you could lose everything.
5. Never get organized. You are a creative person, and getting organized will take away all those creative juices. Forget the wardrobe - the polished shoes - the haircut - breath mints - etc.
6. Live in the past. If you've always done something one way, never try to learn how to do it differently. So what if it takes you a week to finish writing a cover letter in response to an ad? It will be a work of art that will last forever and the employer will frame it even if the position is filled by the time your letter arrives.
7. Debate and argue. You especially want to defend yourself because things didn't go right. Blame the results on your previous employer, the economy, the Republicans or Democrats, even the full moon. Hate the rain and never look at the rainbow.
8. Do what is convenient, not what is necessary.
9. Be negative rather than positive. Positive people are often viewed as fools while negative people are seen as practical.
10. Be satisfied - there is no help for the unsatisfied person.

Of course, all of the above are STUPID ideas, but you would be surprised at just how many individuals follow these ideas - and then they wonder why everyone else is getting the good breaks.

Effective Interviewing:

1. It is never appropriate to arrive late, or more than 10 minutes early, for your interview. If you show up to a job interview late, ill prepared, or dressed inappropriately, you could be sealing your own fate.
2. A neat, professional appearance, is never out of style and is always apropos for a job interview.
3. Walk tall, smile, make eye contact, and present a firm handshake - this goes for men and women.
4. Bring at least two copies of your resume to the interview.
5. You will feel much more at ease if you have rehearsed with a friend, relative, or coworker a day or two before the interview to sharpen your communication skills.
6. Answer questions clearly and concisely.
7. Don't get long winded or meander into personal details that are just not appropriate to discuss.
8. Try to keep the interview on target and focused on you.
9. Be prepared to sell yourself by highlighting your strengths, your accomplishments, and your excitement about working for this potential employer.
10. Don't apologize for anything, simply accentuate positive and relevant information. Arrive with an attitude of "humble egotism".
11. Psyche yourself up into creating the impression that "I'm good, I know I'm better than good, but I know I have more to learn".
12. Show enthusiasm, dedication, and ambition through your body language and your words.
13. The single goal of an interview is to get a job offer. You can always think the offer over and turn it down later, but objective is to get that job offer instead of any other candidate.
14. Sit still, don't hum, chew gum, clean your glasses, drum your fingers, pick your teeth, tap your foot, or do anything else that might leave the impression that you are a nervous, neurotic mess.
15. If the interviewer asks an open-ended question, give an open-ended answer.
16. If the interviewer asks specific question, provide specific answers.
17. An interview is not the appropriate place to discuss wages or benefits - it's best to conduct salary negotiations as well as benefits such as insurance and vacation time AFTER you get the job offer.
18. When the interview is over, stand up, extend your hand, and thank the interviewer for his/her time and consideration of you as a candidate for this position.
19. Ask for the business card of the interviewer, so you can send him/her a "Thank You" note and then leave gracefully - you may ask when the decision is anticipated but don't offer to call back - just walk out as confidently as you entered.

Don't let your E-mail account cost you a job opportunity!

1. If you are looking for work, it is common practice to include your e-mail address on your resume just like you would include your telephone number and mailing address. But if you don't handle your e-mail account correctly you could be shooting yourself in the foot.
2. A "silly" e-mail address can turn off a prospective employer.
3. Something as simple as listing more than one e-mail address can cause confusion.
4. It is inappropriate to use an employer's e-mail address on a resume - that is kin to stealing company assets.
5. Having an e-mail address with a strange extension (e.g., .org) might make something think you are self employed or using an employer's e-mail address
6. The worst dangers of all: Blocking your incoming e-mail, failing to read your email, or failing to empty your email account.

Dealing with e-mail today means dealing with spam - lots and lots of spam. As a result of all the spam, many e-mail providers now offer ways to block incoming e-mails. But if you are not careful, your attempt to block your spam could block your ability to get e-mails regarding your resume. Here are some things you need to consider regarding your e-mail account while you are looking for work:

1. Don't set your e-mail filter to allow only your friends to send you e-mail. This will result in only those individuals who you have pre-approved getting their message to you - since it is impossible to know what e-mail address a potential employer is going to use, your e-mail filters will likely block incoming e-mail from potential employers.
2. Do turn this type of filter off while looking for a new opportunity.
3. Don't set your e-mail filter to block an entire domain. Sure, you might be tired of getting questionable mail from AOL, Hotmail, or Earthlink accounts, but your next employer might use one of these domains to contact you.
4. Do check to see if you are blocking entire domains; if you are, unblock them. Remember if you send an e-mail to a Hotmail account, you can be certain they will reply through Hotmail so note where you send your resume and be certain that you can get a reply.
5. Don't worry that changing your filter settings will allow messages with objectionable content to get through. The filters regarding objectionable content will generally not affect your ability to get replies.
6. Do check your e-mail account daily just as you would your voice mail. A reply from an employer is opportunity knocking - you don't want to miss the opportunity because you forgot to check for messages.
7. Do check to see what you're blocking and call your e-mail provider for help if you get confused.
8. Don't let e-mail sit in your in-basket for days on end, you'll never know if the opportunity of a lifetime was missed.
9. Don't let your e-mail account fill up with junk so that your account is full and important e-mail can't get through.

Employment Laws, FAQ Regarding Loosing or Leaving A Job.

The possibility of being laid off or fired looms large in the list of fears of most workers. While employers have traditionally had a free hand to hire and fire in the workplace, a number of recent laws and legal ruling restrict these rights. As a result, many soon-to-be-former employees are pleased to find out that they have the power to negotiate severance pay and other benefits on the way out the door in exchange for waiving any possible rights to sue based on a claim of discrimination or wrongful discharge.

Unless you have a written contract with your employer establishing a set number of years for your employment (for example, you are a football coach with a five-year employment contract), you can be fired for a host of traditional and obvious reasons: incompetence, excessive absences, violating certain laws or company rules or sleeping or taking drugs on the job.

You can also be fired or laid off because of company downsizing due to a downturn in revenue, reexamination of the company's mission, a merger with another company or transferring work to a factory in a lower wage area. In most cases, an employer does not need to provide any notice before giving an employee walking papers.

Still, there are limits.

1. Employers do not have the right to discriminate against you illegally or to violate state or federal laws, such as those controlling wages and hours.
2. Most state discrimination laws are quite broad. In addition to protecting against the traditional forms of discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, and age, many also protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation, physical and mental disability, marital status, and receiving public funds.
3. Separate state laws protect workers from being fired or demoted for taking advantage of laws protecting workers from discrimination and unsafe workplace practices.

There are a number of other more complex reasons that may make it illegal for an employer to fire you - all boiling down to the fact that the employer must deal with you fairly and honestly.

1. If you find yourself on the receiving end of a disciplinary notice you consider to be unfair, there are several steps you should take to avoid losing your job.
2. Be certain you understand exactly what work behavior is being challenged.
3. Check your company handbook to see if there is a clear policy against the behavior.
4. If you are unclear ask for a meeting with your supervisor or human resources to discuss the issue more thoroughly.
5. If you disagree with allegations that your work performance or behavior is poor, you may want to ask for the assessment in writing, so you can add a written clarification in your personnel file. But you should do this only if you feel your employer's assessment is clearly inaccurate; otherwise, you may risk escalating a minor verbal reprimand into a more major incident that will be permanently recorded in your file.
6. Take some time to reflect and perhaps discuss your situation with friends before you sit down to write.
7. If you feel you are likely to be fired, see if any policy in the employee handbook will buy you time - for example, the right to file an appeal - so the controversy can die down and, if necessary, you can change your work habits. Even if you decide not to challenge the legality of your firing, you will be in a much better position to enforce all of your workplace rights if you carefully document the circumstances.
8. If you apply for unemployment insurance benefits and your former employer challenges that application, you will typically need to prove that you were dismissed for reasons that were not related to your misconduct.

There are a number of ways to document what happened.

1. Keep an employment diary where you record and date each significant work-related event such as performance reviews, commendations or reprimands, salary increases or decreases and even informal comments your supervisor makes to you about your work.
2. Note the date, time and location for each event, which members of management were involved and whether or not witnesses were present.
3. Whenever possible back up you log with materials issued by your employer, such as copies of the employee handbook, memos, brochures, employee orientation videos, and any written evaluations, commendations or criticisms of your work.
4. If a problem develops, ask to see your personnel file and make a copy of all reports and reviews in it.
5. Most importantly, when you are certain that you may have been treated unfairly - consult a qualified employment issues attorney.

Essential Elements of a Successful Resume:

1. Every resume needs to tell the employer exactly who you are and how to reach you. The resume needs to have your name, a good mailing address, and one telephone number that will be answered professionally, even when you are not at home. So pick a number with voice mail or hook up an answering machine and record a professional message.
2. Every resume needs to tell the employer: "Here is what I can do for you". The resume must list your special skills, knowledge, and abilities as well as your measurable achievements. The employer needs to know what benefits you will be bringing to the Company and to the position.
3. Every resume needs to tell the employer about your education and training. Human Resource staff and hiring authorities are always interested in knowing whether the applicant is smart enough to be trained to do things their way. But too much education listed on a resume can overwhelm the reader. If you have a degree you do not need to list all your classes. Being a private pilot or having a green belt in Kung Fu may impress your friends, but those skills may not be of real value to an employer.
4. Every resume needs to tell the employer about what you have accomplished. What you have accomplished in your present and past positions is very important information that must be conveyed to the employer who will examine these accomplishments. You should list specific jobs and outline your duties and your accomplishments proactively.
5. Every resume needs to motivate the employer to action! An effective resume and cover letter will motivate the employer to pick up the telephone and call you for an interview. You can then further sell yourself and your accomplishments.

Typical Interview Questions and Their Answers:

If you think setting out your best outfit, polishing your shoes, reviewing your resume, and setting two alarm clocks so that you can't oversleep prepares you for an interview, think again. You need to know the answers to those dreaded questions that always seem to be asked at interviews:

1. Can you tell me something about yourself? Answer: I'm a quick learner and a hard worker. For example, last month I taught myself Excel so I could complete a report in time for a visit from the manager.
2. What has made you want to leave your current/past employer? Answer: While I really like my job and I've been able to take on more responsibilities, there is no room for me to advance at my company. Or - I've always admired your company and I would like the opportunity to work here.
3. Where do you see yourself five years from now? Answer: With a greater sense of responsibility, maybe supervising a department or overseeing larger projects.
4. What is your biggest weakness? Answer: In the past, I felt nervous speaking up in groups, but since I started giving presentations at department meetings, I am now much more confident.
5. What do you like to do in your spare time? Answer: I really like sports. I joined a volleyball team this summer and we're coming up in our league.
6. Can you describe the qualities you think a good boss possesses? Answer: A great boss is someone who is accessible to employees and open to their ideas.
7. What attracts you to this company? Answer: I love your product (service). I am particularly impressed with the ...
8. Why are you the right person for this job? Answer: With my background working for a competitor, I'm aware of what this position requires. I know I have what it takes to be a successful addition to this company.

Surefire interview killers:

• Have a drink to steady your nerves
• Be vague
• Be negative
• Show up unprepared
• Knock your present/past employer
• Be late or much too early

Job Hunting Tips:

In the recent past the hardest part of a job search was choosing from a large number of opportunities. Unfortunately those days are over and the job search is now a chore. The rules have changed - again. No longer can you wear jeans to an interview (business suits are back), no longer can you be haughty (gracious interviewing is back), and rejection letters are now more common. Opportunity still exists, if you know where to look and just what doors to knock on.

Here are some tips for today's job-hunting environment:

1. Don't limit your search to the web. Historically the best sources for lead generation have been (a) your professional network of business associates (don't forget your vendor friends), (b) your personal network including those from your church or other civic organizations, and (c) your feet (yes, it may be time to go door-to-door, resume in hand, dressed for an interview). Whether you were a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond, there may be problems: The small ponds may have dried up and the big ponds may have fish that are not like you. Either way - you're a fish out of water.
2. Rewrite your Resume. Maybe your specific skills were 'just right' for your last position. But today you need to pitch yourself as a generalist. Now your resume needs to be honed to highlight your classic business skills: marketing, operations, finance, and communications. Forget the macho bit and have a professional writer help you. If you start a job even one day earlier, you've paid for the professional resume.
3. Now the interview really matters. Just a short time ago, having basic skills and being a warm body was enough. Not today. If you conduct yourself as if the market has not changed, you will look arrogant at best and like an idiot at worst. Now you need to talk like a person who will fit in. So get together with a friend and practice your interview skills.
4. The hunt will take time. You may find a job within a week, but finding the right position could take months, bad news for those without resources. One key is to play it cool. Tell the person interviewing you that you are not in a rush and you're waiting for the perfect job. Looking or sounding frantic, even if true, can be very expensive.

Mistakes To Avoid On Your Resume:

You've decided you can write your own resume - after all you have a computer, know how to type, and think that it is a simple procedure. Turns out that writing an effective resume is not a task to be undertaken lightly. According to HR professionals, nearly 95% of resumes in circulation (either on paper or in cyberspace) are bad. You can have a big advantage by avoiding some of the most common mistakes:

• Don't grab an old book on "How to Write a Resume." Resume styles are very dynamic and in constant change. Start with what you think the reader needs to know. Hints:
  • Who are you and how do I reach you?
  • What can you do for me?
  • Are you smart enough to train?
  • What have you done in the past that might be helpful to me?
  • What did you accomplish in those jobs?
• Don't leave off dates because it looks like you can't hold a job. This can lead to the reader assuming all sorts of things like "Has he/she been doing hard time?" Hint:
  • Try a functional style where you can list your skill set.
• Combine employment dates when in the same field. Include your duties, of course, but don't leave out your accomplishments. These are what set you apart from the crowd. Hints:
  • Increased sales by x% in six months.
  • Acquired x new clients in existing territory, increasing sales by y%.
• Leave off the personal information. No one cares and some might find your information objectionable. Hint:.
  • Do not include your age, gender, race, church affiliation, or hunting skills. For everything you like, someone can find a reason to disqualify you on paper.
• Don't get long-winded. Resumes have a life span of about 20 to 30 seconds. If you don't get their attention quickly, you'll never get it. Keep your resume short and concise.
• Proofread and then proofread again. A resume with a typo is a killer.
• Use good paper and a good printer. If you don't care how you look when you want a job, what will the employer think about how you will handle yourself once you have the job?
• Don't just send out bunches of resumes hoping that someone will call. Target your mailing to firms that could use someone with your skills.
• Avoid the use of industry slang. If you can walk the walk the employer will know you can talk the talk.
• Write short, easy-to-read, statements about your skills, knowledge, and abilities.

More Mistakes To Avoid On Your Resume:

Assuming you do not want to suffer pain and are not willing to shoot yourself in the foot, why make mistakes with your resume that could cost you an interview? Before you mail out the next copy of your resume, check these ten additional "don'ts":

1. Appearance - you wouldn't go to an interview with one blue sock and one brown sock - so don't try to save money by printing your resume on cheap copy paper or printing it with a poor quality printer. Check and recheck for typos, grammatical errors, and especially for spelling errors.
2. Length - having a two-page resume is OK if your career warrants it. Still, in resumes, short is better than long. Be absolutely certain that you don't reduce the type size to the point your resume becomes difficult to read.
3. Truthful - if you lie on your resume, you will be caught. There are ways to tell the truth without disclosing periods of unemployment or frequent job changes.
4. Use the right style - you can use a functional or skills-oriented style when you have no direct experience for the position.
5. Use power words - you could copy from your old job description or you could report on your specific accomplishments and achievements. Generally, the latter method will make you stand out from your competition.
6. You don't need an excuse - it is not necessary to include a reason for leaving a job. You should have a verbal answer ready in case you are asked this question at the interview but including the information on the resume is a mistake.
7. Leave the personal information at home - you should not include your age, marital status, race, religion, hobbies, and other interests.
8. Be brief - it is not necessary to tell the reader what you did more than 10 years ago. The primary focus of your resume should be on your most recent positions and other relevant employment history.
9. Mail to a target audience - if you simply mail your resume to every employer with an ad in the Sunday paper, you will spend lots of dollars on stamps. Identify the companies that should have an interest in your skills and direct your resume to them. If you meet the advertised requirements for a position, then apply - otherwise save your money.
10. Keep it Simple - the purpose of a resume is to get you an interview, not to get you a job and including all sorts of attachments with your resume will not get you an interview. At the interview you should be prepared to provide additional support material if asked.

Negotiating Compensation, Promotions, and Wage Increases:

If you have been performing well at work - going above and beyond the duties and responsibilities of the position - and think it is time for a promotion or if your compensation package needs to be increased, you definitely need to understand some of the rules of the game. The rules are the same when it comes time to negotiate a compensation package at the start of a new job.

1. You are not ready to negotiate money until after the sale is made. You are ready to negotiate money and the other benefits of a compensation package when you have a "ready buyer." The key words you must hear are "We are ready to make you an offer," or, if you are already employed the words to wait for are "You have been doing a wonderful job." Until those words are spoken, you are not ready to negotiate. So wait until you get the offer or have proven your value to your employer before beginning the negotiations.
2. Understand your value to the employer. Before deciding how big a raise to request, or the total benefit package for a new position, you need to find out what other people earn for performing similar functions. In order to replace you, or to hire someone with your credentials, the employer is going to have to pay more or less the going rate, which you can use as a benchmark. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the Occupational Outlook Handbook, available in most libraries. This annual publication gives detailed salary information organized by industry. Another source is the "American Salaries and Wages Survey," edited by Helen Fisher. To find out how salaries break down by specific region, try the Economic Research Institute's "Geographic Reference Report."
3. Assess your own job performance or performance capabilities. If you want a raise or want to negotiate your new compensation package with a new employer, you will need to prove you're worth the extra or starting money. That means you need to take a long, hard and honest look at what you do, or will do, for the company. Working overtime isn't enough-you need to actually accomplish something during those extra hours or bring a skill set to your new employer that they will value. Think in terms of Quantity: Do you, or will you, produce more than you're expected to or more than the industry standard? Think in terms of Quality: Is your production of higher quality and does/will it benefit the company by saving money, resources, or attracting more clients? Think in terms of Additional responsibilities or additional tasks: With a dynamic workplace, employees are often expected to perform new tasks beyond those for which they were hired to do. You may also bring a skill set that would allow the company to benefit from your ability to perform additional tasks or assume more responsibilities.
4. Evaluate the economic health of the employer. You need to know about your company or your potential new employer: Is the business expanding? Contracting? Is the employer hiring new workers or laying off old ones? Is the company an established business? A startup? A nonprofit company? What are the future prospects of your employer and for the industry it operates in?
5. Determine how much to ask for. Understanding the prevailing salaries in your industry for someone with your skill set, or your own job performance, and the employer's financial health allows you to be ready to determine a fair compensation package or raise. Find out as much as possible about the firm's compensation policies. Does the company have standard ranges for positions? Standard ranges for raises? When are raises given? Who has the final approval for compensation?
6. Know your minimum acceptable salary below which you'd start looking for work elsewhere or refuse an offer. If you know you would not start for less than a specific sum, or leave if the offered raise was less than a specific sum, you will go into the negotiations with a clear plan.
7. Think big. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want.
8. Build a case. If you have done your research and know where you should start or where you should be, provide that information to the decision maker. List the special skills you would bring to a new job or make a list of your accomplishments so that you can remind the employer of the ways you have, or will, contributed to the success of the business.
9. Be firm but flexible. Threats are not a good idea; if you threaten to leave you might just get a pink slip. Don't talk about other offers. Tell the decision maker that you need to be certain they understand the value you will, or current do, bring to the operation. By avoiding confrontation, you keep the communication open.
10. When you are told "no", make the most of it. You can benefit from a 'no' if you ask why: Is it too soon? Is it a matter of performance? Is money tight? Are you pricing yourself out of contention? Ask what you can do to increase your value to the company. Offer to review a proposal from the company and propose a date in the future to discuss the matter again. Be persistent as most raises or initial compensation packages are not accomplished after one meeting; it takes organized and ongoing effort.

Do I Really Need A Resume?

The answer is simple - YES! Ever wonder why some of your friends seem to move up the corporate ladder faster than you? Ever wonder why your boss got his/her job, since you are so much smarter than him/her? The answer to these questions may be that they have better resumes than you (of course, your boss may also be related to the Chairman of the Board).

Assuming that the answer more likely is that your friends or your boss have better resumes, it seems wise for you to start there. More importantly, if you have a resume, your resume better be a good one, because it is competing with other resumes for the position you want. If you have been sending out your resume and not getting interviews, you can certainly blame the resume.

Without a good resume, companies have no idea that you even exist - unless you are invited to an interview by the hiring authority (who knows you from church) you may as well be invisible. We live in a market economy and you must learn to market yourself effectively and aggressively - or suffer in a 'go nowhere' job while your friends move on to new opportunities and brighter futures.

Now that you understand the need for a resume, the question is "What makes a good resume"? Anyone can type up words on a piece of paper or copy the resume of a friend who is also in a stinking job. A professional resume writer knows how to market your skills by choosing powerful, competitive, words and then use them strategically in order to trigger positive responses. A professional resume writer knows how to highlight your experiences, skills, achievements, education, and accomplishments - and knows how to market you effectively with an individually designed resume. A qualified professional resume writer is someone who understands that the objective of a resume is to get you interviews and to make you easy to interview. If you seek professional help, the MINIMUM qualification you should demand is someone with the professional credential of CPRW (Certified Professional Resume Writer), a highly exclusive designation obtainable only from the Professional Association of Resume Writers after rigorous testing.

Resume Or C.V.? - and What Is The Difference?

Do I Need a Resume or C.V.? A resume is a summary of one's employment, education, and unique specific accomplishments - while a curriculum vitae (C.V.) is a history of one's life. In more simple terms, a resume is a summary of employment and education written in order to highlight your skills and experience while a C.V. is a list meant to document every relevant job and every bit of relative schooling you've obtained. The professional wanting to work abroad or the professional already abroad who wants to come to work in the USA often gets confused about what document will best serve their objective.

Most of you suffering this quandary want a simple answer, so here it is: If you want to work abroad for a foreign based company, use a C.V., if you want to work abroad for a US based company or if you want to work in the USA for a US based company, use a resume! What Is a Resume and What Is a C.V.? A Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) generally starts with your education, listing the preparatory schools attended, colleges attended, universities attended, study levels and dates attended. This information is generally followed with Work Experience, often listing jobs going back to college days, and listed in chronological order.

A C.V. simply lists company names, job titles, dates of employment, and job responsibilities - just the facts without the fluff. Most C.V.'s are written in a paragraph style, not broken up with bullet or italicized information to highlight any special skills or accomplishments. Most often the writing style is from a first person perspective with a lot of "I" and "My" usage. C.V.'s also include personal information including marital status, nationality, height and weight, plus date of birth. The length of a C.V. is limited only by the amount of data available.

A Resume is first and foremost a marketing tool and should effectively market the candidate to a prospective employer. Often a resume starts with a summary or "Profile" that lists the skills, knowledge, and abilities the candidate brings to the table. This information is generally followed with a BRIEF listing of educational credits, just enough to show the reader that the candidate is smart enough to be trained by the employer to do things the way the employer wants them done (exceptions apply for positions where credentials are more important than accomplishments) and finally, the resume presents a list of work experiences, normally in reverse chronological order, listing duties and responsibilities. These listings should be highlighted with specific and measurable accomplishments.

Typically the resume covers only the last 10 years of your career. Resumes are keyword sensitive and seldom exceed two pages - and frankly, one page may be better if the writer has the talent to use effective and motivating words sparingly.

Important Resume Writing Tips:

The information that follows is valuable information that can help significantly with improving the attractiveness of your resume and the success it has in generating interviews - so it would be wise to continue reading, even though the information is general and does not directly relate to YOUR resume. When we review resumes, we look at them from the prospective of an employer sifting through the dozens of resumes and cover letters received for an advertised position. Most employers set up three piles: "Interview", "Probably Not", and "Never". Your resume needs to get into the "Interview" pile. Sometimes the decision is made in Human Resources either to forward the resume to the decision maker or to trash the resume. Your resume needs to be one that will get into the hands of the decision maker. Some of the rules that immediately follow may seem simplistic, and that is certainly true. However, you could spend many hours digging through library books or periodicals on the subject matter of 'Resumes' and still not gain the insight I have tried to provide you in this article. A day spent at the library is a day you cannot spend looking for work or for that opportunity to move your career up the ladder of success. The fee you pay for a professional written resume can save you much more than the cost of the new resume if you start to work, or get that promotion, even a day earlier.

A successful resume is a marketing tool for you, the job seeker, and it must demonstrate how you can solve problems.

Tell the Employer how you will meet their specific needs:

If you can tell the employer how you will meet their specific needs you give the employer a reason to call you in for an interview.

When Human Resource professionals or hiring authorities evaluate resumes, they generally use four major criteria: Strategy, Mechanics, Style, and Organization - Presentation.

Any resume, to be effective, must compete effectively and aggressively against the resumes of others applying for similar positions. If you will evaluate your own resume using the following six rules that are the standards of professional resume writers worldwide, you will have success in writing a resume that will generate more interviews.

1. Resumes generally get less than a 30-second scan by the hiring authority. It is essential to get the immediate attention of the reader. Professional resume writers use a Summary of Qualifications, a Career Profile, or a listing of Core Strengths at the beginning of a resume. This summary or profile contains short, bullet statements that can be quickly reviewed for a 'fit' to the employer's needs. This list is the MOST IMPORTANT writing on your resume. Therefore, spend a good amount of time working on this list. Typically, professional resume writers spend upwards of three hours just on this section, alone.
2. Most people do a good job of reporting their duties. However, it is critical to include accomplishments in each position held. Including some measurable accomplishments, that, as a direct result of having you on the payroll, improved the services or benefits your employer offered to its employees, clients, or customers, will make you stand out from the crowd and make your resume more competitive.
3. Use a home telephone number or cellular telephone number and never a business telephone number. Record a professionally sounding message on your voice mail or answering machine because employers will partially judge you by the message they hear when you are not at home. A poor message on an answering machine could cost you an interview because the employer thinks your message is 'silly.' If you use a cellular telephone number, please do NOT identify it as a cell number for two really important reasons: first, there are individuals who think calling a cellular number will result in costs to the person making the call and, therefore, they do not call cellular numbers, and second, cellular numbers may not be covered by the national "Do Not Solicit" provisions and, therefore, a market has developed for acquiring and selling the cellular numbers of individuals.
4. Using an e-mail address on your resume is wise, but use a personal e-mail address, not a business e-mail address, and look at your e-mail at least daily. E-mail from an employer is opportunity knocking; do not miss the call because you forgot to check your e-mail. Moreover, like the voice mail or answering machine message, your e-mail address should sound professional.
5. Professional resume writers stay current on the preferred style and formats desired by Human Resource professionals and hiring authorities. Generally, these decision-makers do not want or need information about employment history beyond the past ten years and listing earlier employment may not offer any measurable benefit or could tell the reader facts about your age that may not be beneficial. The inclusion of an Objective is very much out of style except in unique circumstances.
6. Many hiring authorities like to look at educational credentials immediately after the Summary of Qualifications, especially where academic credentials and licenses are a critical part of the position. Adding or relocating these credentials in such instances could be beneficial. Further, professional resume writers generally recommend that you not include the dates of graduation. Again, there are definite exceptions to this rule - especially when there are gaps in your employment history that can be easily explained by academic training. Frequently, however, dates of graduation provide another opportunity to calculate age and that may not be beneficial. Some hiring authorities believe that academic studies more than five years old offer no benefit because of the dynamic times we live in.

While there are always exceptions to every rule and there are occasions when one of the above rules should be broken to gain an advantage, these rules are still time-tested guidelines that need to be considered when you review your own resume.

Survival Tips For The Newly Unemployed:

Thousands of jobs have already gone poof! this year, and more layoffs are announced each week. So what's a victim of this economic slowdown to do in these humbling times? First, face facts. Take a close look at the diminishing ranks and you will see, with some exceptions, that very few laid off were from the ranks knows as the 'seasoned pros', those with the full complement of general experience. More likely they were the newly hired or those who have bounced from fire to fire looking for more bucks and not understanding that the whole enterprise would be burning down. Was it naïve for you to leap from job to job despite the fact that it so often lead to a dead end? Not really. The truth is that the best careers are often forged on diverse experience. But you do need to take stock of what you've learned.

Start by answering (honestly) these questions:

1. What were your accomplishments? It is one thing to list a bunch of duties from your previous positions but isn't everyone responsible for completing the elements of their job description? If you not only fulfilled the duties but made measurable accomplishments along the way, these need to be stressed in your resume.
2. Are you ready to take a step down? Sometimes your best career move may be a step down. While taking a step down from a previously lofty perch can be tough, a move into a lesser role will let you apply your skills and knowledge to more minor dilemmas where you can build on smaller successes and test out new strategies. A step down can let you grow in new ways.
3. Is it time to change career direction? You may have found yourself in a career not of your choosing. How many of us actually become what we wanted to be when we were in grade school (or even when we were in college)? Often we end up where we are by accident. Now that you are faced with being unemployed, isn't this an opportunity to really think about what you would like to do? It is possible that your career could rise from the ashes of unemployment and soar to new heights in a completely different direction.

Transitioning From Military To Civilian Employment:

Transitioning from Military to Civilian employment offers unique challenges to the resume writer. Military personnel offer a great deal of experience to prospective civilian employers yet many in this transition have difficulty in expressing their skills, knowledge, abilities, and accomplishments to show just how well they are qualified. Some recruiters or hiring managers overlook well-qualified military applicants because they are not able to establish (or understand) a matched skills set from the resume. Often the recruiter or hiring authority is asked to decipher too much technical information or military jargon.

Some resumes written by military personnel tend to be very long and wordy. The military has its heart in the right place when they offer to assists their personnel with resume preparation services when individuals are transitioning out of the military. Often, however, the contract goes to the lowest bidder and military person is told "The best person to prepare your resume is yourself."

The first process the transitioning military candidate needs to understand is how his or her attributes relate to business and industry. Expressing skills as a leader, a decision maker, a resourceful planner, and a team player able to perform well under pressure can be a challenge. The challenge is to correlate military experience into private sector roles in management, purchasing, security, administration, human resource allocation, systems utilization, and general leadership positions.

Most professional resume writers utilize a modified functional resume style to highlight capabilities in professional categories as opposed to the standard reverse-chronological style that lists duties and achievements. Military personnel tend to pick up extensive professional training in a wide variety of fields and placing all this training information on a resume can detract from the objective. Certain training is valuable to many employers and the objective is to carefully select that training that would be valuable to the civilian employer.

Though many military officers and noncommissioned officers tend to fight it, it is quite possible to get a 20- or even 30-year career into two well-written paragraphs if the right words are used.

The challenge is to avoid fragmented assignments and write a story, instead, of continued progress in responsibility and accomplishment. The objective is getting your resume read and responded to - and to effectively list the benefits to the company from your skill set.

How To Write A Winning Cover Letter:

A cover letter introduces your resume and spells out your reason for sending the resume. It also presents your qualifications and availability to prospective employers. If written in a succinct, appealing format, it is your first opportunity to make an impression with the hiring authority or HR department.

By sending a cover letter with your resume you tell the reader you are serious about your job search. It should entice the reader to review your resume over the many others received for each open position. Professional resume writers are regularly asked, "Do I really need a cover letter?" We always answer - yes - because sending a resume through the mail is like showing up at your physician's office without an appointment - you will probably get nowhere. Your resume should arrive on the decision-maker's desk with a cover letter that introduces you and presents your qualifications in such a manner as to entice him/her to actually read your resume.

Cover Letters should be clear and to the point so that they can be quickly scanned by the reader.

When possible, they should include the specific job title you are applying for. They should provided a list of reasons why your experience makes you a good fit with the position. They should provide a brief summary of your career highlights.

Some resume writing firms and some Internet job search firms offer "Broadcast Cover Letters" where the cover letter is "canned."

Successful cover letters are personalized. A personalized cover letter shows that you are serious about working for the company.

Again, when possible, the letter should mention something specific about the company and should be address to a specific individual whenever possible. The cover letter is an excellent vehicle to brag about your special skills and accomplishments. Cover Letters can also be used effectively to make you stand out from the crowd and to show how you would be a valuable addition to the company. But the cover letter is no place for negative information - personality conflicts with previous managers, pending litigation, or knocking your previous employer - these do not belong in either the resume or cover letter.

If the advertisement asks for salary history or willingness to relocate you can say something like "My salary requirements are in the range of $----- to$------, depending upon the duties and requirements of the position plus the overall benefit package offered" and "I am willing to relocate to the geographic areas of -------- and ------------." If the advertisement is silent on salary requirement or relocation, we recommend not including such information.

One of the most effective tools of a cover letter is that it allows you to be proactive. You can state that you are available to fill immediate or anticipated needs; you can provide a variety of ways to communicate with you (home number, cell phone number, email address or even a friend if you are traveling). You can also note that you will follow up by telephone to provide additional information if necessary. You can even say "Please keep this resume and cover letter on your desk and I will call you Friday morning" (or other specific date or time). If so, don't forget to call.

Questions? Dial area code 719 and 447.1147 or e-mail ResumePro@comcast.net