JOB SEARCH TIPS

"Everybody does it" as they say.

Face it, the job market can be a very tough place to compete. If everyone inflates their experience then how can an honest person get a job?

Well, as tempting as it may be, you do NOT want to risk lying on your resume. Whether it’s personal information, job experience, or schooling - employers are finding new ways to sniff out liars and you don’t want to be one of them.

PERSONAL INFORMATION: While some information may not be easily verified, information such as a criminal record, can be very costly to you in the event it is checked out. With sites like rapsheets.com, you can never guarantee that an employer won’t be able to find the information… even if your employer is hiring you for domestic work and is not a business.

JOB EXPERIENCE: Clearly this is not the place to boast about fake employment… as you are going to list the businesses you worked for which may be contacted for verification. Since this is the most likely area your interviewer will do a check on, avoid misrepresenting yourself at all costs.

EDUCATION: Think that nobody will notice if you slip in an education you don’t really have? Perhaps you do have the skills… but you can not afford to claim education you can’t provide proof of. EmployAct.com is a new service that will allow employers to have background checks - similar to criminal or credit checks - to verify your claim.

WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE… With all that said and done, how can you create a resume that will highlight your skills and abilities without needing to lie?

Give yourself credit! Your skills in the workforce can be weighty indicators of your ability to work in a given job. You may not know what an employer is looking for. With many jobs that don’t require a particular expertise, you many find that they are looking for people who are able to learn on the job. Proof that you have gained skills as a worker (or even a volunteer if you’re just starting out) can be very valuable. Be certain that you focus on skills.

Expand your descriptions when it comes to skills. Do not say ‘I worked in an office’, rather say ‘I was responsible for answering the phones in a professional manner and directing calls to the proper departments. In a busy work environment I was able to multi-task by providing supportive administrative assistance to the head receptionist including maintaining a filing system, processing inter-office memos, delivering documents in a timely manner, directing clients to their meeting appointments and providing relief reception. I was quickly able to learn the filing and switchboard systems as well as create good working relationships with fellow staff.’

As you can see from the above example, it is perfectly acceptable to elaborate on your skills, but do so in an honest and ethical manner. If you need help you can find software programs which will give you suggestions on wording… depending on the position you are describing or you can hire someone who writes resumes to help you.

Have confidence in keeping the job you are sure to get by doing it right the first time.

Click Here to learn how to easily create a simple product that can make you a small fortune without having a job!

Ok, you may not win any awards for the cover letter that you enclose to your resume, but you may increase your odds it actually getting read, if you follow a few simple steps.

1. Keep it brief. Your resume is the document that conveys your qualifications, therefore your cover letter need not go on and on about how wonderful you are.

2. Remember it serves a purpose. It is announcing you – and your enclosed information, your resume.

3. Tell them what you’re doing: I’m applying for the position of… Enclosed is my resume for the position of …

4. Clearly state what position you’re applying for. Don’t assume the Human Resources person will automatically know what job you want or that they only have one opening.

5. Highlight a few of your strong suits. Although brevity is the key here, you don’t want to merely say, “Here’s my resume. Bub Bye.”

6. Don’t be redundant with contact information. All that pertinent information should be on your resume.

7. Don’t staple your cover letter to your resume. Often photocopies need to be made and it just frustrates the person making the copies to have to remove your staples. Use a paperclip if you feel the need to attach it; else just send it on top of your resume.

8. Typos. That’s an obvious one. It’s hard to proof your own work. Find one other person to give both your cover letter and resume a glance over. You’re dead in the water if your cover letter has misspellings, poor grammar or typos.

Below is a same letter you can use as a guide:

Date

Human Resources, COMPANY NAME HERE RE: NAME OF VACANT POSITION

Enclosed please find my resume’. I am very much interested in working with you as your POSITION TITLE. As you will see from my enclosed resume’ I am qualified in a variety of areas. (Or I am uniquely qualified for this position because of my vast experience in …). My college degrees are in Business Administration with a minor in Management. I have spent the last two decades performing INSERT SIMILAR RESPONSIBILITIES.

I am anxious to discuss this opportunity with you further.

Respectfully,

Your Name

You as can see, the above cover letter is short and to the point. It serves a purpose of prefacing your resume. Don’t waste your time going on and on and on. It will not get read. As it stands, you have a 50/50 chance that anyone will even read your cover letter. Are you willing to take 50% odds that it will be read, only to have a lousy cover letter that will essentially hinder your resume from consideration?

Follow the above simple steps and you’ll make a great first impression. Of course, it’s up to you to have knowledge, skills and abilities to back it; but at least you’re starting off right!

Click Here to create a product that can make you a small fortune without having a job!