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Resume Tips
Interview Tips
E-mail Etiquette
RESUME
TIPS - Putting Together An
Eye-Catching Resume
Your resume
has only one purpose, and that is to get the attention of an employer
and make them want to interview you. The initial screening process
is often based more on the quality and clarity of your resume than
on actual abilities and accomplishments.
- What to
include:
- Contact
Information: Your name, home address, telephone
number, and e-mail address should be easy to
locate at the top of your resume.
- Education: If you have a college degree or higher education,
include it along with your GPA if 3.0 or higher.
Include any courses or areas of focus relevant to the
position you are seeking.
- Experience: Chronological format is preferred with the
most recent job first. List both paid and volunteer experience.
Include the job title, dates of employment, and
company name and location for each job. Briefly describe
your responsibilities for each position with an emphasis
on achievements.
- Skills: List computer skills and other skills relevant to
the position you are applying for. Also list proficiency
in foreign languages if applicable.
- Additional
Information: Include hobbies and membership
organizations that are relevant to the job you
are seeking.
- References: References should be listed only when requested.
- What to
avoid:
- Typos,
spelling errors, and poor grammar.
- Missing
or inaccurate contact information.
- Gaps in
employment.
- Long
paragraphs (no paragraph should exceed 10 lines).
- Long
Resumes.
- Meaningless
objectives or introductions.
- Pictures,
graphics, or URL links.
- Complete
sentences with personal pronouns such as "I" and
"we".
- Personal
information such as weight, height, sex, health,
age, religious affiliations, or personal details about
your family.
- Keep it brief - one or two pages in length. Margins should be no less than 0.5". Keep sentences and paragraphs short and concise.
- Use bullets to highlight key skills and accomplishments.
- Avoid fancy formatting and graphics. Most resumes are scanned and entered electronically into company databases. Extensive page formatting can get lost, causing text to become unreadable in the scanned version.
- If e-mailing your resume, make sure you save it as a file type that can be read by the recipient. Microsoft Word is an acceptable format for most companies. However, saving your resume as plain text is your best bet to ensure that the recipient can open and read the attached file containing your resume.
- Have someone proofread your resume to be sure the spelling and grammar are perfect.
- Print your resume on plain white bond paper.
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TIPS FOR A PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEW
The following tips will give you that "extra edge" for successful interviewing.
Increase Your Confidence Before The Interview
- Take time to learn about the company before the interview. The Internet is a great resource for company research, so do your homework.
- Be prepared to talk about your skills and accomplishments and how the prospective employer will benefit by hiring you.
- Picture yourself at ease while talking about yourself.
Dress For Success
- First impressions count! Follow this easy checklist prior to going on an interview:
- Hair and nails clean and neatly trimmed.
- Good personal hygiene.
- Jewelry should be conservative and kept to a minimum.
- Handbag or briefcase should be of a simple style.
- Little or no perfume or aftershave.
- What women should wear:
- A professional suit, a coordinated skirt and jacket, or a tailored dress.
- Plain, neutral color stockings.
- Polished simple shoes, such as closed-toe pumps.
- Daytime makeup rather than evening makeup.
- Natural color nail polish.
- What men should wear:
- A suit or conservative sport coat and color-coordinated slacks.
- A dress shirt and tie.
- Polished shoes and dark socks.
The Interview
- Be on time! If possible, arrive 10 to 15 minutes early.
- Stop in a restroom to check your hair, tie, etc.
- If asked to fill out an application, answer each question completely. Never use "see resume".
- Greet your interviewer formally and be sure to remember his/her name. Shake hands firmly and wait to be seated.
- Sit up straight and look poised and alert. Body language is important.
- A positive attitude reflects optimism and confidence. Perceived attitude is often more important than experience.
- Be tactful. Always have a positive statement regarding former employers.
- Honesty is the best policy. Most companies check references.
- Emphasize what you can do for the company, not what the company can do for you.
- Do not chew gum, smoke, or eat during the interview session.
- Turn off cell phones and beepers.
- Smile!
- Thank the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you.
- Let the interviewer know of your interest. Ask for the job.
- Do not introduce the subject of salary. The interviewer should be the one to initiate the discussion regarding salary. Benefits can be discussed after a job offer is made.
- Send a handwritten thank-you note. It will set you apart from the crowd. Have someone proofread it for you to be sure the spelling and grammar are perfect.
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E-MAIL ETIQUETTE
Do this when sending e-mail:
- Review messages before sending them to make sure you are really saying what you want to say.
- Be as polite as possible. Being abrupt or short can be taken as hostility.
- Think of a descriptive and relevant title to enter in the "Subject" field. Make it clear to the recipient what type of message you are sending, especially if it is official.
- If possible, include the portion of the message you are replying to in your reply. People often forget the original context.
- Before clicking "Send", double check what is entered in the "To:" field. Ensure that your message is going to the person you intended.
- Give correspondents the benefit of the doubt; try not to assume the worst. You may read an e-mail in a negative way when it was not actually intended to cause harsh feelings.
- Be patient with inexperienced e-mail users. A message may have accidentally been sent to you because an inexperienced user replied to all rather than just the intended recipient.
Avoid this when sending e-mail:
- Do not send messages when you are angry. Cool down first, look at the message again, and then decide whether or not you really want to send it. Most e-mail programs let you save a message for sending at a later time.
- Do not reply to "all recipients" unless everyone needs to see your reply.
- Be careful when sending a message to a group of people. E-mail addresses are private and they should not be made visible to all those who receive your e-mail. Put addresses in the "BCC" field rather than the "To" field to keep them hidden.
- Do not type in all capital letters. This is equivalent to SHOUTING and is considered RUDE.
- Do not send jokes that could be offensive in any way to anybody.
- Never send jokes to coworkers or work-related e-mail groups.
- Do not send chain letters, including any e-mail that says you should forward it to all of your friends, to 10 people, or to everyone in your address book.
- Do not send messages recruiting participants in make-money-fast schemes. Some of these may be against the law.
- Do not edit quoted messages to change the overall meaning.
- Do not send an e-mail when a phone call would be faster and more effective.
- Remember that everything you say in an e-mail is a written record and could be used against you or your employer.
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Vision Statement:
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