RedStarResume Pics

Tips from the Pros

Jul

Hot Resume Tip…

Times have changed, after all, as Grant Cooper, president of Strategic Resumes Strategic, notes in the Resume Critique Writer software that he authored. “Brief resumes are simply no longer effective in today’s increasingly competitive job market,” he said. “The advice that ‘They only want to see one-page resumes,’ is perhaps the single most outdated and incorrect statement job-seekers hear today.”

The Job search market can be a tricky place to navigate. Whether you are just starting out, moving up the ladder or changing your current situation, RedStarResume have all the resources to help improve your chances of success. http://www.bestresponseresume.com/

Tags: 2010 graduates, college student job, cover letter tips, cover letter writing, expert resume, graduate jobs, graduate resumes, graduates in 2010, how to write a cover letter, how to write a resume, interview tips, interviewing, job hunt, resume tips, student resume, writing a resume

Jul

Ask The Expert!

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Dean Bernard is a 10 year veteran in the recruitment world. Highly regarded as one of the best in the business, Dean sat down with RedStarResume to answer the big questions!

(RedStarResume) How is the state of the economy?

Too often I hear people tell me how bad things are. If I got a dollar for every time I heard “There are no jobs available” I would be worth millions. Its true that finding a job is tougher then what it was 5 years ago however due to the internet and new social networking sites (LinkedIN, facebook etc) there are now more opportunities for people to network and spread their resume to the right people. Social networking sites have opened up a whole new way for candidates to sell themselves online

(RedStarResume) Advice for people wanting to make a career change

PLAN!!!! Changing your career is not an overnight move. It can take 6-12 months to plan out your change and execute your plan into action. You are going to encounter hurdles and obstacles along the way but as long as you stick to your plan anyone can make a career change.

(RedStarResume) What is the single most important thing a candidate can do when going for an interview?

First impressions! – Dress correctly, shine your shoes, tuck in your shirt, don’t chew gum etc. All the small things are so important. It is amazing how many candidates fail the job interview because their first impressions were bad

(RedStarResume) What is your #1 Resume Tip?

Include your achievements!!!!! Your resume is your selling tool. Until you can meet the interviewer in person your resume is your selling tool. The hiring manager wants to know about your achievements and how you have excelled in your previous positions. When a hiring manager is reading through 100 resumes the skills of each candidate are going to be fairly similar. You need to make yourself stand out from the competition by emphasizing your achievements and how you have contributed to the success of your previous employment

(RedStarResume) What is your view on using a professional resume service?

I have always been a big advocate of using an expert in all aspects of life. When you’re buying a house you use a professional agent, if your toilet is leaking – you call an expert plumber. It is the same when deciding to go for a job. The more help you can get the greater your chances of succeeding. A professional resume writer can help you ensure that your resume is formatted correctly, targeted towards the job you are applying and adequately highlights your skills and achievements. Most importantly they will help you stay ahead of your competition. The job search can be one of the most difficult and stressful tasks so the more help you can get the better!

(RedStarResume) Any Secret Tips a candidate can do during the interview

The secret tip is what the candidate can do before the interview. Preparation is the key. When the interviewer asks you if you have any questions , make sure you have questions ready to go. My tip to candidates is to be positive and under no circumstance NEVER NEVER bad mouth your previous employer,

Final Question:

(RedStarResume) Is there such a thing as a perfect job?

Yes of course! You need to work out what you are passionate about and follow your dreams. Sometimes in life your path takes you in a different direction but as long as you’re focused and determined you can find yourself your own perfect job. Good luck!

Tags: 2010 graduates, college student job, cover letter secrets, cover letter writing, cv writing, dream job, graduate, graduate job, graduate jobs, graduate resume, graduate resumes, graduates in 2010, how to write a cover letter, job, resume, student resume, writing a resume

Jul

Your Cover Letter is just as important as Your Resume!

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Unless you are being recruited by a family member, friend, or close acquaintance, every single hiring manager will want to look at your resume before they call you in for an interview.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a cover letter accompany your resume EVERY SINGLE TIME you send it in and to make sure that it’s tailored specifically to the job you’re applying for.

Think about it from a hiring manager’s point of view. They can receive hundreds of applications for a single job position that they need to fill in just a short amount of time. On top of their regular job duties, they need to sift through all of the applications and find the top 5% to call in for an interview. It’s just not possible for them to look at every single person’s application. So what do they do? They narrow down the field by using the easiest and fastest tool they have – first impressions.

Let’s relate this to a different topic – sports. You’re a coach and need to “recruit” the best players possible for your team…

You’re coaching a soccer team and need to pick 15 members for your squad out of a potential 100 and you only have 2 hours to do so. It’s impossible to take a good look at every single player’s skills in only 2 hours, so you need to quickly narrow your search before you can study the players further. In order to do so, and without knowing anything about the players, you’re going to rely on your first impressions to make the first cut.

Take a look at the players standing before you – are they all wearing proper soccer attire and equipment? Do they look excited and enthusiastic about being here? Think about it – if there’s someone dressed in a soccer uniform and cleats and another one wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and sandals, one of them definitely appears to be more interested in joining your team than the other. Building on that, and only considering first impressions, one looks a lot more capable than the other. While there may be a hundred explanations for this difference, it really doesn’t matter when you have a limited amount of time – the ones who don’t look interested are not going to make the first cut.

Consider the above situation and think about it from a hiring manager’s point of view. You have 50 applications before you and you need to call 5 people in for an interview. You have a limited amount of time to decide, so you need to eliminate some applications quickly. What can we see without even reading the details of each application? Some have cover letters along with the resume and some do not. The applications without cover letters are a little bit like the people showing up to soccer tryouts with jeans and no equipment. They make a terrible first impression – they don’t appear as interested as the other ones, so why should anyone bother with them?

Applications without cover letters are always the first ones discarded. The presence of a cover letter shows a genuine interest in a job position because you actually took the time to write it. The current economic climate is not exactly one that is overflowing with jobs; it’s not like companies are hiring for the sake of it. Make sure you show a hiring manager that you have taken the time to merely write a letter to show your interest in their job position. If you don’t bother showing an interest in them, the hiring manager will have no interest in you.

Tags: 2010 graduates, cover letter, cover letter secrets, cover letter tips, cv, expert resume, graduate job, graduate resume, how to find a job, how to write a cover letter, job search, need a job, resume, resume writing, student resume

Jun

How Far Back Should Your Resume Go?

By RedStarResume No comments yet

I recently came across a resume that listed a summer cashier position in 1976 as part of a person’s “professional experience.” While it may seem a little strange or ridiculous to include an irrelevant position from nearly 25 years ago, I can tell you that it’s actually not that uncommon to come across something like this. A lot of people think that they literally need to include everything they’ve ever been involved with on their resumes, and I can assure you that not only do you not have to follow suit, you also don’t really need to go back any longer than 10 years.

The main goal of your resume should be to impress the reader with the specific qualifications and experiences that make you fit to be hired for a desired position. That being said, the reader is most interested in what you have done recently, not in what you did over 10 years ago. The bulk of your resume should be devoted to the last few years of your working history – this is what potential employers want to know about.

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably held a number of jobs over time if you include the part-time and casual positions. If wrote a little bit about each one of these, your resume would probably near the 4 page mark on experience alone. Considering it shouldn’t be longer than 2 pages, this is far from ideal.

When it comes to listing your professional experiences, stick to the most recent and relevant positions. There is no need to include everything, and writing about too much will sometimes blur your positions together and detract from your real qualifications. Unless you’ve held the same position for over 10 years, there is really no reason to go back any longer than this, and employers don’t even expect to go back that far on your resume anyway. If you do have quite an extensive work history of relevant positions, focus on the most recent ones and then simply list the earlier positions under a new category for “previous or other employment.”

Just remember that there is such a thing as “too much” on a resume. Focus on what the hiring manager wants to see, not on how much information you can cram onto it.

Laura is the Marketing Coordinator for RedStarResume, a business that provides resume and cover letter writing services for students, graduates and young professionals.

http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Tags: 2010 graduates, cv writing, expert resume, graduate resume, graduates in 2010, how to write a resume, internship, job interview, resume tips, successful job interview, writing a resume

Jun

What Spelling and Grammar Check Won’t Pick Up on Your Resume

By RedStarResume No comments yet

You’ve probably been told over and over that the use of proper spelling and grammar are extremely important on your resume and that one little mistake can ruin your chances at obtaining a particular job. It seems to me that these warnings are given out all the time. When I ask people to tell me the number one mistake on a resume, they almost always say that it’s bad spelling and/or grammar. This really makes me wonder because it’s pretty rare that I come across an error-free resume. There always seems to be something, whether it’s a misspelled word or a missing comma. The best explanation I can come up with is that people today seem to rely a little too much on spell and grammar check programs.

Spelling and grammar check programs are great in many ways, and they seem to pick up a lot of common mistakes. For example, they automatically add apostrophes to words like “can’t” when you forget to put one in there. Or they might automatically capitalize the word “I.” They also do a good job at highlighting some clearly misspelled words. Despite all of these benefits, however, programs like these should not be seen as flawless. There are tons of things they can miss, and below are a few examples:

Same word, different spelling: Some words sound exactly alike, but have different spellings with entirely different meanings. Spell check will not pick up when these words are used improperly. These words could include: then, than, your, you’re, too, to, two, their, there, are, our… and this is only naming a few.

Word choice: Did you know, for example, that the words “which” and “that” can not exactly be used interchangeably?

Punctuation: Comma omissions and unnecessary commas are usually not picked up.

Overall structure of your resume: Is your resume written in past or present tense? Or are the tenses all over the place? Consistency is something these programs won’t notice.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use these programs – they are useful in many situations. I’m saying that you shouldn’t rely solely on them to check over your resume because they aren’t foolproof. It’s important to check and re-check it yourself and to then also show it to a couple of friends and see what they can find. We sometimes rely on computers to do too much for us, and we forget that they aren’t even close to flawless. Don’t underestimate the capabilities of the human eye.

Laura is the Marketing Coordinator for RedStarResume, a business that provides resume and cover letter writing services for students, graduates and young professionals.

http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Tags: 2010 graduates, cover letter, cv writing, expert resume, graduate, graduate resume, graduate resumes, how to write a resume, internship, job interview, resume tips, student resume, successful job interview, writing a resume

Jun

Worst Job in the World!

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Tags: 2010 graduates, college student job, cover letter, dream job, expert resume, funny job, graduate job, graduates in 2010, hate my job, job interview, resume writing, student job, worst job

May

Intern, Travel, Volunteer – What are the best ways for students to spend their summers?

By RedStarResume No comments yet

• Internship:
Internships provide opportunities for students to gain experience in their chosen fields, determine if they have an interest in a particular career, create a network of contacts, or earn school credit. Although you may feel that graduation is still a long way off, if you can gain experience in your chosen area, you will help to reduce the challenge of interviewing post-graduation without any real work experience. Remember there are at least 3 summers as a college student. If you can make use of at least one of them it will put you in a good position when your time comes to graduate.

• Travelling:
Travel and experience the world! Broaden your mind and experience different cultures and traditions. From the beaches of Australia to the jungles of Brazil, the memories you gain while travelling are priceless and you just never know who you’re going to meet along the way. Go see the world while you can – you have the rest of your life to work!

• Volunteering:
Volunteer your time for free. This could include working for free for a company related to your field of interest or sacrificing your time to help others (there’s no better feeling than helping those less fortunate than ourselves). In the long-term, volunteering looks great on your resume, and it could open doors for future opportunity. Remember to network. This is by far the most important advice to give a student.

• Combine travelling and working:
Find a job or internship in a foreign country. Perhaps learn a new language. You never know the opportunities that can present themselves.

• Spend time with your family and friends

• Get some exercise, stay healthy and active!

Whatever you decide, just make sure you have fun and enjoy yourself.

To view all “Tips from the Pros” Check out our website www.redstarresume.com

Tags: 2010 graduates, college student job, dream job, graduate jobs, graduate resume, graduates in 2010, intern, internship, resume writing, student internship, successful job interview, volunteer, writing a resume

May

Ever have one of those days?

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Tags: 2010 graduates, boss, cover letter, graduate job, graduate resume, how to write a resume, interviewing, job, job search, resume writing, successful job interview

Apr

When Should I Look to Apply For an Internship?

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Author: JAMES ALLEN

Internships are extremely important and beneficial to college resumes, so if you have the opportunity to apply for one, I would 100% recommend it. Internships are huge resume boosters and will no doubt give you an advantage over the competition when it comes to real world job seeking after your college graduation. The key thing to note, however, is that with internships, planning ahead is always your best option.

Most do not work like jobs in terms of the actual hiring process. With jobs, ads are posted and can be filled within only a few days because the start date is almost immediate. With an internship, the process is quite different – the actual start date could be months away, which is why you need to think about it in advance.

If you’re thinking about applying for an internship with a major corporation (or with one that you anticipate will be accepting applications from thousands of students around the country), you will definitely need to apply for this months in advance. Many summer internships are filled by the spring, and, in turn, ones for the fall are filled during the summer.

While most internships are filled months in advance, this does not make it true for all internships. Colleges all over offer internships with various departments or with school-based organizations that you can usually apply for toward the beginning of the semester. While they may not seem like the most exciting ways to spend some of your free time, they will definitely add value to the resume you send out to that internship you really want.

The main thing is that if you’re just starting to think about internships and haven’t found one you’re interested in yet, it’s never too early to at least start drafting and preparing your resume. You won’t be able to apply for a job or internship without one, and you want to be prepared the minute you see one you like.

James Allen is the USA Director of Marketing for RedStarResume, a business that provides resume and cover letter writing services for students, graduates and young professionals.

Tags: 2010 graduates, college student job, graduate job, graduate jobs, graduate resume, graduates in 2010, internship, student intern, student job, student summer jobs, successful job interview, summer jobs

Apr

Best Tips on How to Get That Pay Raise You Deserve

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Waiting on that raise that never seems to come…

A friend recently told me that he was expecting a raise soon simply because “I haven’t gotten one in the last 2 years.” There was no direct reason – no one had told him about this supposed upcoming raise, and he hadn’t done anything major in the last few months to expect one. He simply expected that one would come, particularly because he hadn’t received one in his entire 2 years there.

I always wonder about this kind of thinking because, from the way I see it, employers are never lining up to give people more money. If you’re waiting around for your boss to give you a raise for no specific reason, you’re going to be waiting for a long time. A raise doesn’t come simply because you’ve worked somewhere for a specific amount of time or because you haven’t received one – you have to earn a raise and, even when you do, you probably still have to ask for it.

It’s no secret that an employer is going to try to pay you as little as possible. I don’t mean this in a mean way – I’m just saying that they aren’t going to go out of their way to pay you more than they have to, simple as that. This especially applies to those of you waiting on that raise you haven’t received yet. Think about it – why would your boss give you more money to do the same exact job? What would be in it for them? Whether you’re deserving of a raise or not, it’s not going to come at the drop of a hat.

Employers are not looking to give away money that they don’t have to, so if you continue to wait for them to offer you one, you may be waiting a while. If you think you deserve a raise, let your boss know and give your specific reasons. This can include examples where you have increased productivity, saved them money or even how you trained new employees.

Providing specific reasons is the key to getting your pay increase. Remember everyone wants more pay and greater benefits. A pay rise is just like a negotiation. You have to provide something in return to receiving something. If you can prove to your employer that you are worthy of a pay increase your employee is more likely to give you one. One last thing. If you feel you deserve a pay rise and have evidence to support your argument, don’t be afraid to ask for it.

A lot of people sit quietly and say nothing to avoid “rocking the boat,” and they have the mindset that a pay rise will eventually happen on its own. Don’t let this happen to you. You deserve to get paid as much as you can.

Laura is the Marketing Coordinator for RedStarResume, a business that provides resume and cover letter writing services for students, graduates and young professionals. http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Tags: 2010 graduates, asking for a raise, college student job, expert resume, graduate jobs, higher salary, job hunt, job interview, job search, pay rise, resume writing, salary, writing a resume

RedStarResume Pics

Tips from the Pros

Hot Resume Tip…

Ask The Expert!

Your Cover Letter is just as important as Your Resume!

How Far Back Should Your Resume Go?

What Spelling and Grammar Check Won’t Pick Up on Your Resume

Worst Job in the World!

Intern, Travel, Volunteer – What are the best ways for students to spend their summers?

Ever have one of those days?

When Should I Look to Apply For an Internship?

Best Tips on How to Get That Pay Raise You Deserve

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