1. Research the company beforehand. Know what they sell, where they are located and who some of their customers and/or competitors may be.
2. Review the job description. Know the basic advertising duties. Be prepared to clarify those things you may not understand.
3. Prepare questions related to the company and/or the position.
4. Be aware of and address any body odor, cigarette smoke and other cleanliness issues.
5. Dress for the job. If you are applying for a labor position a three piece suit is not necessary, but torn or dirty jeans and a tank top showing all of your body art is also inappropriate.
6. Be on time. Know where you are going and plan for traffic, construction, weather and terrain.
7. Be pleasant to the receptionist. They frequently provide feedback to the interviewer and it carries A LOT of weight.
8. Avoid Distractions! Things like turning off your cell phone and leaving family and/or friends at home are paramount. If you must bring them, have them wait in the car or at least outside of the potential employer’s office.
9. At the end of the interview inquire as to the next steps and/or time frame for hiring.
10. Do not allow spouses, mommies, or girlfriends to call and inquire about ANY position related information. This is your job alone to earn or lose.

1. When you are asked a question, Answer it. Avoid wandering off into the weeds and talking around the question. If you don’t understand ask for clarification.
2. Once you have answered the question close your mouth. Avoid repeating, reiterating or restating what you have already said. Stay on topic.
3. Be honest. Even if it is something you are not proud of (a criminal conviction, a reason why you were fired or left a position, etc…) tell the truth.

Jump to Resume Types: Chronological | Functional | Hybrid

Resume Writing Tips

1. 1. Your Resume is potentially your very first introduction to a hiring manager. Take the time to create a resume which represents you in the best possible light. It is, at the end of the day, a marketing tool and you the product. Always…
2. 1. a. Create more than one draft.
   2. b. Have someone review/proofread it for you. Twice.
   3. c. Design it for the consumer (or hiring manager) not for yourself. In other words, what can you do for the potential employer?
4. 2. A cardinal rule of good resume writing is to never, ever send a resume out without a corresponding cover letter. Even in the day of electronic communication and delivery, you can at least use an e-mail to work in this capacity.
5. 1. a. Demonstrate you have read and thought about the position and how/why you are the correct fit.
   2. b. Convey interest in the specific position by outlining you are the proper choice for the job in relation to the requirements and/or tasks advertized.
   3. c. Have someone review/proofread it for you. Twice.
7. 3. The organization of your resume is essential. Take the time to properly create a “base” resume. Then, tweak it specifically for EACH job for which you apply. One should never have a generic resume that is used for every job.
8. 1. a. Brainstorm all you have done in work, play, volunteer, hobbies, etc… over the last 10-15 years.
   2. b. Identify how those tasks and experiences have improved your skills and how they may translate into a benefit for an employer.
   3. c. Determine what kind of resume you plan to produce.
10. 4. There is debate over whether using an “objective” on your resume is worth the proverbial real estate. Most agree that it is NOT. In an effort to keep your resume to one page (two at the very, very most) use your cover letter to address your objectives, tying them into the job specifically. Use the space on your resume for more skills and experience to demonstrate why you are a fantastic candidate.
12. 5. Whether you use a chronological, functional or hybrid resume, you must write in terms of action. What have you accomplished via those skills and experiences identified from tip three.
    1. a. In many cases you only have about 8 seconds to grab their attention. Don’t make the reviewer sort through your life history. Do the work for them; tie yourself to the specific job. Use words directly from the posting in your resume.
    2. b. Use action oriented words to convey the specific accomplishment. (Achieved, Developed, Broadened, Increased, Managed, Initiated, Created, etc…)
    3. c. Be purposeful with each word. A good resume presents you in your best light as quickly as possible. Before you commit any word to paper for good, weigh the importance of that word; is there a phrase you’re using that could be shortened, yet still convey the same meaning – or even convey it more effectively?

 

Resume Types – Chronological Guide

Here’s the outline of a solid chronological résumé – in the order it should be presented.

Identification:
Obviously, this is first. Make this section so it’s easy for a potential employer to reach you. Obviously, you want your name, address, phone numbers – not only your home, but also your cell phone – and your e-mail address. Steer clear of cute or profane email addresses.

 

If you’re a college student, you may also want to include a school address and your permanent home address.

 

Job Objective:
Résumé experts argue over whether this section is really necessary. Most seem to agree that recent college graduates should state an objective. Another category of job seeker who might utilize this portion is those changing careers. If you don’t fall into either of those two categories, most résumé experts seem to think that any job objectives can be reviewed nicely in your cover letter.

 

Should you decide to use the objective, be sure to explain the type of work you want. And don’t use any more than four lines explaining this. Make sure your objective relates to the position for which you are applying.

 

Key Accomplishments:
If you’ve been out of the job market for a while, you might be unfamiliar with this section. Résumé experts are now recommending this. And this aspect of the résumé is exactly as it sounds. You quickly highlight what you consider to be your key achievements in the jobs you’ve held. This is a great opportunity to “break away” from the chronology of a résumé.

 

The key accomplishments section is a great idea if you feel as if you really need a chronological résumé, but have been out of the job market for a while. It highlights both your abilities AND your duties.

 

Make this section strong to grab the attention of the employer.

 

Even if you’ve been in the same field for 20 years, this can be a very profitable section to use. You may not want to identify it by “Key Accomplishments”. You could head the section as any of the following:

• • Qualifications
• • Qualifications Summary
• • Summary of Qualifications
• • Summary of Accomplishments
• • Key Skills
• • Professional Profile

 

The secret to preparing an effective “Key Accomplishments” section lies with the effective use of bullet points. You’ve seen these in other résumés, as well as many other documents. Create your list of accomplishments. Then review them carefully. Ensure that you place the accomplishments most relevant to the position you’re seeking first.

 

Education:
If you’re a recent college graduate or the position for which you are applying requires a specific educational accreditation, place your education next. If you already have full-time work experience in the industry, then your “Education” section should follow the listing of your work history.

 

The education section includes the obvious markers of your college years: The school or schools you attended – as well as the years of attendance – your major (and if you had one, a minor), the name of your degree and any honors or awards you achieved while attending school.

 

It is not recommended to reveal your GPA – grade point average – in this section. If you should decide to reveal this then ensure that you reveal it in the most favorable light. For example, if you have solid overall GPA, then reveal that. If you’re not quite comfortable with what your overall average is, then perhaps you can disclose only your GPA in your major.

 

Professional Experience:
If you want to use that term – Professional Experience – that works. You can, alternatively, call it “Work History,” “Experience,” or simply “Employment.” If you’re a recent college graduate, though, consider calling it just “Experience.” Your work history will undoubtedly include a variety of jobs that have little to do with the field you’re planning on entering. Not only that, when you use the term “experience”, you can include a broader category of activities – even major school projects or volunteer work that illustrates your true abilities, leadership qualities and overall potential.

 

For each employer you list, you should include all the “essential” information of your employment. Record your job title, the company for which you worked, the dates of your employment (many times the month and year are enough), major achievements you attained while in that position. And by all means, list your current or most recent job first.

 

For each of these entries, list skills and accomplishments in a bullet format. This makes it quick and easy for the potential employer to read. For maximum effect, avoid describing your job duties or responsibilities. Your accomplishments should suffice.

 

Accomplishments:
Yes, you do have them. It’s a jungle out there! More companies are reviewing résumés in search of “accomplishments”. It’s just not enough with the present economy to merely list your duties and responsibilities in your job description. It’s vital that you list accomplishments that are individual to your actions in this particular job.
Think about it! I hate to keep coming back to this, but you only have a limited time to convey your “unique selling point” – the skills, abilities and talents – that make you the perfect match for the job!

 

It’s probably just a by-product of being told over and over again as youngsters not to boast. It could even be that we’re so comfortable in our present positions, we really don’t think in terms of accomplishments. But believe me, you have them.

 

Remember that list in the last chapter you created of all your accomplishments? If you didn’t take my suggestion seriously, now is the time to create it. This section is the meat of your résumé. Eight seconds, remember? The employer simply won’t trudge through a gaggle of responsibilities looking for the meat! Make this section as reader friendly as you possibly can. In the process, you can make yourself sound like the outstanding and talented employee you really are!

 

Transferable Skills:
This is a godsend for the individual who is either entering the job market right out of college or for the person jumping into a career change. But it’s a vital skill that every job seeker should master.

 

The concept of transferable skills is actually quite simple. Take the skills you’ve developed during any activity in your life, whether it is your job, academic-related projects, sports, hobbies, even the skills you’ve been using as a “stay-at-home” mom. Analyze which of these skills the employer would most want in his employee. These are what you’ll highlight.

 

Of course, you’ll want to keep coming back to this idea in a variety of ways. When you get that job interview, the person interviewing you may ask if you have experience in a certain area. If you don’t, answer honestly, but add any skills you believe you’ve learned through other areas or opportunities.

 

If you’ve taken time out of your career to raise children, you may note any variety of organizational techniques you’ve used, either in maintaining and efficiently running the household, being a scout leader, or the time you volunteered to help the local council person’s election. If you supervised the volunteers or coordinated the door-to-door campaign, now is the time to offer that information.

 

But, you protest, you don’t really have any “transferable skills.” Ridiculous! You have lots of them; you just need to scratch the surface of your present job. Let’s take the example of the woman who was a very successful secretary.

 

She wanted to try her hand at sales. But her résumé unfortunately just screamed “secretary.” Just read this:

• • Excellent computer skills, including word processing and spread sheets.
• • Processed confidential reports and salary changes
• • Scheduled meetings and appointments as necessary

You get the idea. These are not the skills, however, of a good account representative. However, with a little twist of the description (and let me emphasize you’re not embellishing or even stretching the truth here!), she can easily show that she has the skills and abilities to be a competent account representative.

 

Her list of accomplishments should more closely look like this:

• • Interacted successfully with wide range of employees – from salary to hourly – to assure meeting arrangements were handled efficiently
• • Possess excellent organizational skills
• • Specific follow-up and confirmation process for all appointments set

 

For every job duty that she had as a secretary, she could conceivably discover a transferable skill to apply to the new career she was seeking. And so can you.

 

For every item that appears on your current résumé, think of a way you can twist it just a little to show that you can perform the job for which you are applying.

 

Take a hard look at your current job history. I can hear some of you college grads already moaning, “But how do you make the job of waitressing look like it has transferrable skills?” Ah, but even here, plenty of room exists to highlight these abilities of yours. Just read this description:

• • Acted in the capacity of a “sales representative” up-selling items
• • Achieved one of the highest per ticket and per-shift sales averages in store
• • Assessed and prioritized responsibilities throughout shift to ensure quality service
• • Acted as quality control even before taking food to table

 

Now you can’t deny as a restaurant server you didn’t do all of this, now did you? And that is the secret of transferrable skills.

Affiliations and Interests:
This section is optional. If you do use it, be sure you only include professional memberships and activities or interests that are not controversial by their very nature. Any political affiliations – unless it’s vital to the job you’re seeking – should be left out. It also wouldn’t be a good place to include affiliation with a group that has garnered any type of poor publicity.

 

Remember that not everyone may share your world-view of things. Carefully choose what you’re going to use.

 

The only reason for actually using the “affiliations and interests” section is for professional reasons. Very often, the person interviewing you may choose an item from this section to use as an “ice-breaker” in your interview.

 

References:
Once upon a time, this was an important section. It appeared all companies wanted some name they could contact immediately for character references. Today though, this section isn’t very important. If the company is interested enough in you, it will eventually ask you for references if needed. Note: make sure your “references” are available and agreeable to being contacted as a reference.

 

Not sure the chronological résumé is the right one for you? In the next section, you’ll discover the advantages of employing a functional format as the basis of your job-seeking document.

 

Resume Types – Functional Guide

 

If you are completely changing careers, and want the employer to know you have the skills, maybe just not “packaged” the way they are accustomed to viewing them. Consider a functional resume.

 

Utilizing a functional resume is ideal for the individual who wants to change careers. It’s also an excellent format for students who are applying for their first job.

 

You’ll want to avoid this résumé type, however, if you’re applying for any “traditional” position. You know the type: those in a private institution or those with any form of government.

 

In creating a functional résumé, you organize your résumé according to your experiences and accomplishments rather than around the specific positions you’ve held. And it very well may be that you’ll only actually mention these jobs in very general terms.

 

This can be an extremely valuable approach – and get you an interview over others with solid industry experience – if you use it properly. For one thing, the functional résumé highlights your accomplishments in a concise and speedy fashion. It illustrates your best points first. And when you’re talking about a résumé being in a person’s hands for only seconds, time is of the essence.

 

A functional résumé is also a great tool if you want to keep the focus off of those, well, less than pleasant experiences in your background (we all have them!). Any experience that a potential employer can see as being negative is much easier camouflaged using this type of résumé.

 

Here’s a note of caution though if you do plan to use this device. Write a “killer” cover letter to accompany it. That’s right! The cover letter provides your potential employer with the reasons why you’re not mentioning your previous positions in detail. If the cover letter doesn’t clarify this properly, it appears to the employer that you’re trying to hide something.

 

Who else may benefit from using this approach? Actually, quite a few people.

 

Consider this approach if you:

• • Have little or no work history and are seeking an entry-level position
• • You have a history of changing jobs frequently
• • You’re re-entering the work force after a significant period of time off
• • You have several “gaps” in your work history (for whatever reason)
• • Your jobs in the past fail to show progress from one position to the next

The inherent hazards of a functional résumé:

 

As we mentioned earlier, most employers would prefer the chronological résumé. But don’t let that discourage you completely. The functional résumé is being used with increasing frequency. As a result, many employers are beginning to find merit in it as well.

 

Many potential employers insist on knowing what your current job is, so much so that if you don’t explicitly state it on your résumé, you may not even get an interview, despite your inherent abilities to handle the position.

 

Your potential employer may experience difficulty in fully understanding the context of your accomplishments if they aren’t tied to a specific position. If you’re just throwing achievements at him, these eventually tend to be hollow – especially when he has a stack of résumés of candidates with specific experience in the field.

 

A résumé as unique as you!

 

A true functional résumé doesn’t record your actual employment specifications anywhere! That means that you live or die, so to speak, by your ability to persuade the potential employer you have the proper skills.

 

While at first glance, this may seem intimidating, it really isn’t. It’s actually quite liberating. You’re creating a completely unique document, with sections tailored to highlight all of your best qualities. If you’ve had one or two problems with employers in the past (and who among us hasn’t) you can quietly “de-emphasize” these. Instead, you can concentrate on demonstrating to the potential employer all your best strengths.

 

Some résumé experts refer to this type of résumé as a “problem-solving résumé.” And you can easily understand why. This particular style allows you a bit more latitude than a chronological one in aligning skills and accomplishments that, at first glance, might not place you as an ideal candidate for the job.

 

Whether that problem is poor performance at your current position, an unexpected job loss or a résumé where you’re long on education but short on work history, the functional résumé can speak to all of it.

 

In essence, this type of résumé is as unique as you are!

 

The exact sections comprising your functional résumé may not be identical to your co-worker’s résumé even if both of you are creating a functional résumé. Why? Each of you has a different view of your strengths, accomplishments and other character traits that complete your job portrait as it were.

 

You may include a section titled “communications” to highlight your ability not only to interact well with all levels of employees within a corporation, but also to demonstrate your talent with the written word.

 

Your co-worker may decide his résumé works best by including an area called “leadership” in which he can highlight his supervisory skills.

 

But more than that, the exact sections are also decided by the employer himself. What types of strengths is he looking for? The answer is in the job posting.

 

If you’re not sending a résumé in response to an advertisement of some sort, you can still get a good feel for what an employer wants by searching similar job postings. Visit any online job boards to discover what employers are specifically looking for in this type of position. Tailor your strengths to read like the job post.

 

Here is an overall outline to get your creative juices flowing:

 

Personal Information:
No matter what type of résumé you’re using, you always want to identify yourself with the whole complement of address (or addresses), telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses.

 

Highlights of Qualifications:
This section ideally contains bulleted statements that succinctly summarize your qualifications with regard to the job opening. Always place the most relevant qualifications first. If you have a strong record in sales and you’re applying for an account representative job, this is where you get to flaunt it.

 

But remember, if you’re going to flaunt it – be specific. You have eight seconds to get his attention. Use numbers if you have them. Mention awards if you’ve won them. Talk about commendations if you were given any. You get the idea.

 

Professional Accomplishments:
Under this heading, place several subheads, all titled as a “Key Skill.” Each “Key Skill” should contain at least two bullet points. (Yes, we’re still using those bullets. They are a great resource for drawing attention to your strengths quickly.)

 

Be as specific as you can possibly be. Quantify your experience every chance you get, e.g. “Oversaw $3.4 million inventory.”

 

Did you use any problem-solving skills in your previous positions? Mention these if they’re relevant. Don’t forget to describe the favorable outcome as well.

 

From here, you may want to branch out and mention any number of other achievements or highlight other talents. You may want to use a “Communications Section”. This is especially useful if the job calls for interaction among various groups of people.

 

If you’re applying for a supervisory position, think about using a heading like “Motivation”. This specifically targets your skills at overseeing others. This would be particularly useful if you’re confident you can perform the duties outlined in the job posting, but you feel your work history might not be strong enough to get you in the door for an interview.

 

Education:
List your education. You don’t need to list years – especially if you have been out of school for more than 15 years.

 

Affiliations and Interests:
This section is optional. If you do use it, be sure you only include professional memberships and activities or interests that are not controversial by their very nature. Any political affiliations – unless it’s vital to the job you’re seeking – should be left out. It also wouldn’t be a good place to include affiliations with a group that has garnered any type of poor publicity.

 

Remember that not everyone may share your world-view of things. Carefully choose what you’re going to use.

 

The only reason for actually using “affiliations and interests” section is for professional reasons. Very often, the person interviewing you may choose an item from this section to use an “ice-breaker” in your interview.

 

References:
If the company is interested in you, it will eventually ask you for references, if needed. Note: make sure your “references” are available and agreeable to being contacted as a reference.

 

Not sure the functional nor the chronological résumé is the right fit for you? In the next section, you’ll discover the advantages of employing a hybrid format as the basis of your job-seeking document.

 

Resume Types – Hybrid Guide

 

The hybrid résumé may be able to give you more mileage when it comes to getting those job interviews. It essentially combines the best of both of the previous résumés – the functional and the chronological.

 

It’s a great vehicle to use when you want to highlight your accomplishments, but feel you still need to include your work history. In many ways, it’s the one résumé that helps you cover all your bases when presenting yourself to a potential employer. And when you only have eight seconds to introduce yourself, anything working as “double duty” is a good thing!

 

This category of résumé begins just like the others, with your personal information. Then it moves into the highlights of qualifications and key accomplishments sections of the functional résumé. This section should not fill more than one half of the page because directly underneath it, you will outline your job history.

 

Many of you are now wondering, “What do I do about my gaps in employment history?” The answer is simple. Be honest. If you took time off to help raise the children, place that in chronological order along with your jobs. Perhaps you went back to school for several years. Fill the employment gap with that information as well.

 

If there was a period you’d prefer not to talk about, let the gap exist. What you don’t want to do is start using “creative” résumé techniques that increase your stay at various jobs. Mention it in passing in your cover letter, followed immediately by the fact that you’re eager to take on this challenge.

 

Employers like open and honest employees and will appreciate your truthfulness.

 

You are the only person who can decide if the hybrid résumé is right for your specific circumstance. You may not want to use it if you’ve been traveling along the same career path for a lengthy period of time. A simple chronological résumé best showcases your rise in your chosen career or industry.

 

But, if you’re in the process of changing careers or have experienced a spotty employment history, you may be just the job applicant who can shine brighter than the others with a hybrid résumé.

• • Check Distribution
• • Personal and/or Emergency Contact Information

Tax Forms

• • Federal W-4 (2013)
• • Arizona A-4 (2013)
• • o Many states (CO, DE, ID, MN, NE, NM, ND, OK, OR, SC, UT) use the Federal W-4 as their state form too. If you wish for Geotemps, Inc. to withhold taxes at a different rate for a particular state you must submit a second W-4 and indicate at the top “For ¬¬-______ (indicate state) Purposes Only”.
  • o There are no state withholdings for WY, WA, TX, TN, SD, NH, NV

Assignment Information and Forms

• • Bi-Weekly Time Sheet (2013)
• • Bi-Weekly Pay Schedule (2013)
• • Employee Expense Report (2013)
• • Benefits Enrollment Form (2013)
• • Paper Application – Fill or Type (2013)

Miscellaneous Forms and Information

• • Federal I-9 (2013)
• • Application for Social Security Card
• • NV Domestic Partnership
• • Nevada Workplace Safety (2013)