| Creating a resume can be a tedious, time-consuming | | | | yourself. For customer service resumes, you could |
| task. Even when it's complete and free from spelling | | | | mention a seminar you attended on interpersonal |
| errors, it may still sound bland. When you're competing | | | | communication and how to handle difficult people. For |
| for a job with hundreds of other applicants, 'ordinary' | | | | acting resumes, you could mention how you took adult |
| just won't do. You have to stand out from the get-go! | | | | gymnastics lessons for two years in the event you |
| Establish yourself as the front-runner with these five | | | | needed to perform stunt work. By showing you've |
| helpful tips, and you can breathe easy during the | | | | gone above and beyond with your education, it shows |
| interview process. | | | | you're committed to and passionate about your craft. It |
| 1) Your cover letter is really part of your resume. | | | | also shows that you're willing to refine weak areas. |
| Therefore, cover letter writing is equally important. | | | | 5) Provide strong references. Most jobs applications |
| When it comes to writing a good cover letter, make it | | | | require you to list three personal and professional |
| personable. Applicants often sound robotic in attempts | | | | references with their names, address, phone numbers, |
| to sound formal. Of course you want to be respectful | | | | and email addresses. Think very carefully about whom |
| in addressing whom you are sending your cover letter | | | | you want to mention. In many cases, they will call your |
| to, but go beyond "I read about your job opening online | | | | references. Most family and friends will be happy to |
| and am submitting my resume for consideration." Write | | | | vouch for you as a 'good person,' but you really want |
| what compelled you to apply for the position and how | | | | to find three people who will sit down and give a |
| not just your job skills that employers look for, but your | | | | written assessment of you as a person, and your job |
| personality can be an asset to the company. | | | | capabilities. |
| 2) Note a few key characteristics pertinent to your | | | | If you can get a former employer to give you a |
| position in the cover letter, and also in your resume | | | | written recommendation - excellent. For new college |
| objective. These characteristics should be a | | | | graduates with entry level resumes, have a professor |
| combination of personal attributes that subtly suggest | | | | write a recommendation, along with a peer who you |
| you're 'made' for the job. For example, | | | | worked with in a group setting, and a supervisor from |
| For a teacher resume, you want to project | | | | an internship. |
| yourself as a nurturer. | | | | Go ahead and ask for several written |
| For sales resumes, you want to come across as | | | | recommendations so you can choose which ones are |
| persistent without being too pushy. | | | | strongest and most appropriate for your position. You |
| For IT resumes and engineering resumes, it's | | | | want to weed out the ones that simply say, "Jane Doe |
| important that you show quick thinking and | | | | completed a successful four-month internship here and |
| problem-solving skills. | | | | should do a fine job with any company who hires her," |
| And for executive resumes, you want to show | | | | and go with, "Jane Doe's unwavering commitment to |
| you're a leader with sound judgment. | | | | helping students with disabilities was truly admirable and |
| 3) Show you've made your mark. So you want to | | | | showed us all how capable these young children really |
| convince your prospective employer that you'd be an | | | | are, despite their circumstance." |
| asset to the company? Show him or her that you've | | | | The key thing to remember when writing a 'standout |
| already made your mark on the world by noting feats | | | | resume' is that you have to stand out as a person. If |
| and accomplishments pertinent to your field. | | | | you're stumped on whom to ask for a reference or |
| In a human resources resume, that could mean | | | | what to note from your previous jobs, perhaps you |
| mentioning a 20% increase in your previous company's | | | | need to work a bit harder at getting the type of results |
| productivity after you implemented monthly training | | | | worth mentioning. |
| workshops and team-building activities. For a journalist | | | | If you didn't make that much of an impact at your |
| resume or even a journalist cover letter, mention how | | | | previous job, get involved in community service and |
| your discovery of illegal dumping sites led to the city | | | | start there. Most organizations are grateful for having |
| suing a recycling plant. | | | | resourceful, bright people like yourself helping their |
| Showing you've made your mark at your previous | | | | cause, and most will be happy to note your |
| jobs signifies your potential value as an employee and | | | | involvement. |
| how a company could benefit from your abilities. | | | | If you didn't take any noteworthy classes in school, it's |
| 4) Show an eagerness to learn. Every job applicant | | | | never too late to enroll in a technical program or an |
| will, more than likely, meet the educational requirements | | | | extra class at your local community college. The |
| for the position. Most applicants will possess bachelor | | | | important thing to note is that there are always ways |
| degrees and MBAs, depending on the position. A way | | | | to better yourself, just as there are always ways to |
| to stand out educationally is by listing additional | | | | improve a resume. |
| technical training, particularly training you sought out | | | | |