New Media Resume

Technology is moving forward and progressing. We should do so, too. One way to do that is to upgrade our resume. As in major upgrade. Like when you are installing new hardware in your outdated PC.

There are many kinds of electronic resume. It is usually based on the storage device since this also determines the possible amount of data you could put in. There are floppy disk, flash drive, mini disk, and in cases where you need to, in compact disc or in DVD.

Other than that, there are resumes where you post online. Besides attaching your word processor resume in job bulletin boards and job websites, there are also interactive resumes like video resume, flash animation-based resume, website resume, and others. You could even use your social networking profile as your electronic resume.

An advantage of having a new media resume is that it is virtually portable. Your job hunting has become paperless and if you do everything online, saves you the hassle of travel. Another plus is that through technology, it helps you make your resume more appealing.

Just like your usual resume black ink on white paper, content should be organized and be in chronological order. Emphasize your strong points. Since you have the luxury of unlimited space, you could provide more information. You could also provide a variety of means of contacting you by giving out links to your social networking profiles, instant messenger usernames, and email address.

You could also integrate different forms of electronic resumes into one presentation. For example, you could embed a video of yourself, giving out a brief bio, some of your work experience, and your future needs and expectations.

For the artist in you, you could also put in flash games or include your portfolio as a slide show. This works well for programmers, graphics artists, and web developers.

Finally, the web helps out in distribution. Put the URL of your web resume in your email and forum signature, IM status, job websites, virtually everywhere where you could leave a mark.

Basic Resume Design and Layout

In creating your resume, whether doing one for the first time or simply spicing up a template, you should make sure it would stand out from the crowd. But before you go crazy on your word processor’s word art, here are some reminders on how to pull off an attention-grabbing resume in plain black and white.

Since I mentioned it, limit font styles to two at the most. Recommended fonts to use are the ‘basic’ fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, Courier, Verdana, or Georgia. Put variety by using bigger sizes in the headers and using bold and underlines. But do remember to not overdo it.

Font size should range from ten to 20. Adjust according to preference and readability.

In the header, your name should stand out by using a bigger font and not just making it bold. Make sure that your contact information is updated.

Next thing to remember is to emphasize your most recent achievements. If you are fresh out of school, put up your educational background. If you have had a considerable amount of actual work experience, it is better to highlight your employment history.

There is no need to put in all of your information. Create a specific resume for a particular job or field you want to go in to. For example, if you want to try out computer graphics and writing, produce a different resume for the former which stresses your related experience in computers and graphics and compose another one which accents your writing projects.

Make your resume easy to read. Unless it is a unique job title or job description, you only need bullet points or to enumerate your previous work. Again, put in front the most recent.

Awards and certifications should follow. This also includes seminars and symposiums related to the work you are applying to. Then mention extra-curricular work or other hobbies or activities that you do to show that you are a well-rounded person.

If there is still space, write miscellaneous information about yourself that you think would be needed by your employer. Limit your resume to three pages max. Better to limit yourself to two pages, if not, one.

To those who want to include a photo, attach the image by pasting it on the soft copy rather than stapling or gluing it manually. Use a recent photo. Size 1 x 1 inch is all right, although you may also use 2 x 2 inches or passport size.

A suggestion is to put the picture at the bottom right end at the last page of the document rather than at the top right in the first page. Besides not messing up the first page layout, it is a conversation piece on why you have your picture at the final page.

Putting the ‘Um’ in Your Resume

It was meant to be a joke, but there is some truth to it that the resume is the closest anyone would be to becoming perfect. No one would dare put an outright lie – although I know someone who almost got away with it, if only an HR person did not call us up in our school organization and verified if a certain someone was a remember – but how close to the truth are you actually?

By this I mean how much would you put in to emphasize some points in your resume. As a disclaimer, this is neither about stretching the truth nor exaggerating a task you did as part of your work experience. This is merely about accentuating the good parts in order to highlight them.

This is the nifty trick of using clever euphemisms to pad your resume. This somehow involves clever wit and creative wordplay. Again, let me remind you that no lies were used in creating this resume.

The very obvious area of the resume where a little figure of speech could be put into play is at the job description. Being bland and narrative does not work to some. Besides, how well you put it could give you some brownie points come interview time.

An example of this would be to depict one of your tasks as “ensuring quality customer service” when you actually mean that you add “Would you like fries with that?” as an auto response after getting the order or handing out a free apple pie to an irate customer because your companion fouled up his order.

Another place in the resume where you could play around are your job titles. It helps if you officially had that title, then it would not be hard for you to justify why you were a content analyst in your last job when what you did was check the layout, design, and actual content of webpages before they get uploaded. Since being an editor usually invokes thoughts of correcting spelling and grammatical errors, it would be better for your standing if you also have a more all-encompassing job title that connotes the diversity of the work that you did.

Fancifying your resume might also mean breaking the monotony of what is written. Sure, the last five jobs you had were all copywriting, headwriting, and freelance writing. Then why not put in something similar yet something different? What are synonyms for anyway? Put your writing skills into good use, especially if you are an one professionally.

From there, you could coin something new and hip like content provider. If you are doing it on the web, adding something like conceptualizer and composer of online digital content would have that futuristic techie feel although technically, you are still a writer deep inside.

Another idea and also another concept of resume composition is to itemize your tasks instead of position. This works well for the renaissance man. Instead of writing down plain old production assistant, you can enumerate the different things you did as PA like researcher, analyst, copy editor, and what have you.

For those who are trying to scrape the bottom of the barrel for any skill where they were not academically trained to specialize in, one could state instead the number of units related to the field you want to get in to. It is a plus if you have had additional training or employment somewhat close to the job you are currently applying for.

Turning one small skill set into something that you want to be perceived as have been doing for so long is quite a challenge. Just be sure to deliver if you are asked to. For example, dealing with people from different countries because of circumstance might make you an incidental diplomat. If you feel you could hack it fulltime, then give it a try.

In essence, it is about making things sound better than they usually do and bringing out every drop of goodness from an experience. Or maybe I am just stretching it. But, at least, you get the drift.

Your Resume and Fonts

One thing I learned from a class I took in college is that the fonts that you use determines who you are. For our homework for that lesson, we were asked to print out our name using a font that typifies us. Bonus points if we could also do the same with the names of our family.

That being said, I am a Verdana person. Still, I did not put much notice into it. I just like using Verdana. It must have been its slender lines when it is in its normal font face and how it fattens up when in bold that appealed to me. It is not as formal looking as a serif font like Times New Roman and it is not as irregular as Comic Sans. Where am I getting these descriptions from?

On to the topic, the font that you use could give the HR person perusing your resume an idea of your personality and if you are a right fit for the job.

Standard practice in the corporate setting is to go for the formal fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, and Verdana. There is no actual research yet with regards to people’s perception of fonts used in resumes, but the closest would be is the Washington State University study of people’s reaction to fonts used as marketing tools. According to the research, it is a safe bet to go for Grade Six fonts, like the ones mentioned above since they evoke a feeling of comfort.

The study also shows that there are certain fonts that can be appropriate in certain fields. Grade One fonts are feminine, and thus can be utilized in women-dominated jobs. Grade Two fonts, on the other hand, are what are called the ‘edgy’ fonts, thus they can be put in by job-seekers whose professions are more right-brain inclined. Grade Four fonts are more masculine and more apt for stereotypically manly jobs.

Another point to consider is whether the resume would be submitted online or needs to be a hardcopy. Sans serif fonts are perceived to be easier on the eyes when viewed from a PC monitor and are also more contemporary.

It also helps if the font you use is appropriate to the field you are trying to get into. It would seem odd if you would be submitting a resume in good old TNR if you are applying for a design position. Now that is called out of place.

Font size and layout also matter in the resume, but these are better reserved for another topic. As with the content, how your resume is presented is as important a factor whether you will get that job you are aspiring for or if you have to try your luck somewhere. Or if you have to construct a new resume altogether.

CV Checklist

If you’re one of those people who describe a curriculum vitae as a very long and tedious resume, then you’re quite right about it. It’s one of the things that you need to know thoroughly before you step out into the real world and start applying to different companies. One of the things that you need to know about a curriculum vitae is that it is totally different from the make-up of a normal resume.It is important to know all of the vital information that should be contained in your curriculum vitae or else, you’ll end up not getting the job if it is sloppily done. So without further adieu, here are the information that you need to include in your curriculum vitae.

Contact information
If you happen to be lucky enough and the institution that you applied to decides to hire you, then you’d want for them to be able to notify you immediately.
Brief biography
They’re not looking for a novel here. Just the important and relevant things about you.
Undergraduate education
Of course they will look into this. This is mostly self-explanatory. You better not even attempt to apply for a teaching institution if you do not have this.
Graduate education
This is one of the more ideal things that the judges will consider.
Scholarships
If you happened to be bright enough to have merited a scholarship during your college days, then your chances of getting accepted is highly likely
Training
If you had training on a specific craft of skill, it would be advantageous to you. It is important that you include this because this certainly attracts attention for those prospective employers and university heads.
Opportunites in studying abroad
This more reflective of how cultured you are with the various things, the more they will be won over by you.
Dissertations
Dissertations are quite important especially if it was for your graduate subject.
Employment experience
This is to show to your prospective employers that they have an opportunity to have you as one of their employee whose impeccable work ethic can be counted upon.

Other things that you might want to mention are your theses, teaching experience, publications (if any), grants you’ve been awarded, technical and computer skills, and if you have one, personal licenses and certification. All of these things contribute to how your prospective employer will look at you. Include them and be sure not to miss out on them.

Temping Rules

After you submit your CV to potential employers, even though it’s masterfully crafted, you will never have a 100% hit ratio all the time. Sometimes, you’ll even be asked to just fill in a temporary job instead of a permanent one. However, there are some temp jobs that might have a possible permanent future in store for you and then there are those temp jobs that are exactly like that-just a transitory stage until you find an employer who will risk their neck to hire you.Humor aside, temping can be misunderstood by the ones who are doing it simply because the work is less formal but can be even much more demanding with regard to the different requirements that the employer asks of you. So, if you’re one of the people who might be going into temp work, then the following tips are your guide to give you as much of a hassle-free experience that you can possible get.

If you have already been listed in the books of an agency, you will most probably find that they will start calling you with various offers of work and when you do accept, you will find that there is a lot to remember. One of them is to arrive on time. Never be late whenever you find out that you will be working for an agency. Report on time and if necessary always be early to show how serious you are taking the job they have assigned to you.

One other thing is to dress appropriately. Some people think that just because it’s part-time work, it automatically means that you also tone down your formality. Follow the dress code of the organization whenever you’re working for them and you’re reporting to their office. You are also a representative of the company and it would bring great dishonor to the organization that you represent if you come not wearing your best.

Another thing that you can do is to take notes while you work. You might ask a few follow up questions from your employer when you first meet together and discuss your temping options with them. That way, you’ll be clear with your guidelines and also get in their point of view so that you won’t be asking them again and again. What’s important is that you are prepared and that you are able to conduct yourself in the same manner as if you were working a full-time job.

Being Brief

If you want to be even more productive this year, especially during times when you need to rush a certain project, it’s helpful to be brief. If you’re one of those people who just seems to ramble on and on about a particular thing, scenario or person, here are some tips so that you’ll be able to cut to the chase.1. Don’t be bogged down in details that don’t matter. Perhaps you’ve caught yourself once or twice saying something like, “I wore a red shirt, or was it brown, no I think it was red…” What’s so important about what you wore if it’s not an important part of the discussion? Get on with it and go to the next detail of your story.

2. Never repeat your comments unless one of your listeners did not hear you or if she indicates that she did not understand.

3. If the idea is not new to the conversation that you have. If it isn’t new, then you’ll only be wasting your time with these rehashed ideas. Get new ones or don’t entertain the old ones.

4. Try to eliminate some of your extra words. It’s important to construct your comments with as few words as possible while still retaining what you want to say. When you learn how to edit in writing courses, be sure that you apply whatever concepts you learn when you are speaking.

5. Speak at a comfortable pace. This means that when you talk, it is easy to listen to you. You shouldn’t go so slowly that the person listening to you begins to start completing your sentences because they’ve already guessed what you were going to say. Speak slow enough and fast enough at the same time. The key word here is “balance”.

6. Do away with the jokes. Try to take out the jokes that only you think is funny. Don’t try to think that you’re the next big comedian. Stop wasting your time because the rest of the people in the meeting might not agree with your sense of humor in the first place.

7. Eliminate redundant words and phrases in your speech. Examples of these words are “uhm” or “er” or maybe “you know” and “like”. Pause in between your thoughts and try your best to stop filling in the gaps with unnecessary words like these.

Get to the point. Be brief.

Writing A Curriculum Vitae

So you’ve just started to consider working part-time but the company that you want to apply to is asking for a curriculum vitae. This is one of the things that you’d wish you hadn’t been assigned to because you have absolutely no knowledge of how to go about doing one. As a student, your job is to notify the hiring manager that your education, experiences as well as attitudes toward the work that you are applying for is the right fit. The curriculum vitae says all of that in a few sentences. However, it is imperative that you do that immediately through your CV or else, the attention could be lost along with the working opportunity. This should orient you about the different parts of your CV and what you should do with them.

CV Summary
This is the part where you summarize the different key skills as well as attributes that you have. This part should be able to paint a very positive image of you and indicate the different strengths that you would like to highlight. All of these should be highly relevant to the position that you are applying for. What recruiters are looking for in this particular section is truthfulness and the right skill set.

Major Achievements
This section should include around six to seven major achievements that would be directly linked to the job that you are applying for. It is very significant that you choose achievement which the recruiter will be able to use when he or she considers you for the position

Work Experience
One of the things that recruiters are looking for is an attitude of industriousness. If they see that you’ve been able to work before applying for this job, they will easily consider you because they know that you know what it’s like to be at the other end of the workforce. You may start identifying your most recent position and maybe cite backwards from there.

Education / Qualifications
This is a must and a given in all of the things that you will be submitting to your potential employer. You might want to also work backwards from the most recent level of education that you have attained.

These are just some of the given details that hiring managers and recruiters look for whenever they look at a curriculum vitae. If you take time to do your properly, then it will benefit you in the long run.

Keeping It Private

If you’ve grown accustomed to writing resumes that are haphazardly done, you might want to think it through before doing that to your curriculum vitae. It is very important that you ensure the credibility and the neatness of your CV as this is one of the most formal documents that your prospective employer will read about you. This particular document is one of the things that you will need to polish until it is constructed perfectly. That being said, you need a lot of things to include in it as it should be thorough in its entirety.At the risk of sounding very careful, aside from being thorough, one should also be able to know exactly what not to include in a curriculum vitae. This is for the purpose of being brief and concise in the details that you want your prospective employer to read. If your curriculum vitae isn’t properly made, you will most probably forfeit your opportunity to be considered because there will be some things that the academic institution or employer did not approve of. So in order to become concise in your curriculum vitae, here is a list of things that you may want to take out before sending it to whomever you will be sending it out to. Your private information is one of the few things you need to leave out.

One should remember that he or she should always be careful of what they put in their CV. Applicants should always leave out their age however their date of birth is allowable. Some of the other things that you should strive to filter out of the resume templates are your marital status, age, weight, height, health, sex and race. Some of the facts that are presented in these areas are irrelevant and they contribute nothing to overall qualifications that might be needed for the job. It is vital that you take all of these information out of your curriculum vitae simply because some of the information here might lead to discriminatory or prejudiced decisions.

The manifestations of biases and prejudices could be in the form of not considering the employee because of them or by simply hiring them because they indicate in the CV that they are of this race or of this sex. So it is very important that applicants to academic institutions and organizations have equal chances in entering by basis of their qualifications.–nothing more, nothing less.

CV Simplicity

How do you keep your CV simple? It’s an honest question but it also carries with it so many implications such as what to retain and what to take out. You might want to be able to read through this first in order to know how it is to create a CV that is straight to the point, yet contains all vital information. One thing you should remember is that there are no absolute rules whenever you’re making your CV. With that being said, don’t take these suggestions as rules to live by whenever you’re drafting a copy of your CV or modifying it. There should be enough creativity for you to be able to work with. So let’s start with the how-tos of making a simple CV.

If you already have a CV, you might want to spend some extra time with it in order to make it into a very remarkable document that will put your ahead of the other applicants. When you do not do your CV well, there will be no point in doing it. Here are some pointers:

1.    Remember to include the different types of information that matches the level and type of job that you are planning to apply for. This should be done in a manner that will highlight you as a very interesting candidate.

2.    You should also try to put your emphasis in your CV so that they will know what area you will fit best. If your strength is in knowledge and education, then by all means, highlight that. If you it is in the intangibles such as the organizational culture that you have been exposed to, then let them see that in your CV. These will vary with the various professional roles that you have already attained in the past.

3.    One other thing that you need to do is to be able to prioritize the information that you have so that you will be able to catch the attention of the people who will be reading your CV. You should include and highlight those details which will be very important for them so that they will be curious enough to hold an interview with you.

4.    Try to include a lot of evidence of what you have to offer the institution or the organization that you are applying to. You should be able to appear convincing and professional without boring people to death

Try and implement these the next time you edit or revise your CV. You’ll be able to come up with a thorough and creative CV in the end.