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13
Aug

What Do You Do When Your Resume Is Bare?

By RedStarResume No comments yet

guest-blogging-1One of the first steps in making the transition from student to job seeker is to create a professional resume. At first glance it may seem like you don’t have much to put on your resume, however if you assess your past experiences you’ll realize you have more relevant experience to highlight on your resume than you think. Employers look to your past performance to predict your success in the future. As a student or recent graduate, jobs aren’t the only way you can demonstrate your prior success. Remember that resume writing is all about highlighting your achievements. Don’t forget to include examples and evidence to further promote your value added skills to hiring managers.

6 Things to Include on your Resume as a Current Student or Recent Graduate…

Relevant Coursework:

As a student or recent graduate, employers realize that so far most of your life has been spent in the classroom, learning and studying. It’s beneficial to highlight coursework that is related to the field you’re applying for. This can show employers that you’ve learned relevant material from your studies and that you have thorough knowledge that can be an asset to their company.

Internships:

Of course you’ll want to include any and all student internships you’ve had in the past. It’s always better if you’ve participated in an internship related to the jobs you’re applying for; however having any type of internship can show a level of maturity and responsibility. It also shows that you’ve been exposed to a real working environment and are better prepared to enter the workforce.

Part-time/ Summer Jobs:

Don’t belittle your part-time or seasonal work experience. A job in retail or summer camp may not seem relevant to the field you’re going into, however you learn a great deal of foundational skills by having a part-time job that prepares you for having a full-time position. Employers like to see that you’re mature enough to hold a job and learn some basic skills and work ethic.

Volunteer Work:

Volunteering can also provide valuable skills and promote leadership and cooperation. It’s good to include any volunteering you’ve been part of in the past, as it can also demonstrate maturity, responsibility, team work and cooperation.

Extra-curricular Activities:

Feel free to list relevant extra-curricular activities on your resume. Anything you do on your free time that shows commitment, leadership, team work, etc. You can demonstrate skills you’ve acquired through your extra-curricular activities. For example if you’ve played on a sports team while in school, this can show you’re a team player and able to successfully handle multiple tasks.

Memberships/ Affiliations:

Including relevant memberships and affiliations can help demonstrate your commitment to a particular field of study, issue, or show your success in a certain area if membership is merit-based.

About the Author:

Amanda Ryan is a Program Development Associate & Senior Resume Writer at RedStarResume. Amanda is a highly skilled resume writing expert and career expert who also specialises in creating, writing and developing career content, working alongside student and graduate job seekers and developing career content for newsletters, partners and career websites.

 

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07
May

Student And Graduate Resume Writing

By RedStarResume No comments yet


6 Things to Include on your Resume as a Current Student or Recent Gradratuate

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One of the first steps in making the transition from student to job seeker is to create a professional resume. At first glance it may seem like you don’t have much to put on your resume as a student or recent grad, however if you assess your past experiences you’ll realize you have more relevant experience to highlight on your resume than you think. Employers look to your past performance to predict your success in the future. As a student or recent graduate, jobs aren’t the only way you can demonstrate your prior success. Remember that resume writing is all about highlighting your achievements. Don’t forget to include examples and evidence to further promote your value added skills to hiring managers.

Relevant Coursework:

As a student or recent graduate, employers realize that so far most of your life has been spent in the classroom, learning and studying. It’s beneficial to highlight coursework that is related to the field you’re applying for. This can show employers that you’ve learned relevant material from your studies and that you have thorough knowledge that can be an asset to their company.

Internships:

Of course you’ll want to include any and all student internships you’ve had in the past. It’s always better if you’ve participated in an internship related to the jobs you’re applying for; however having any type of internship can show a level of maturity and responsibility. It also shows that you’ve been exposed to a real working environment and are better prepared to enter the workforce.

Part-time/ Summer Jobs:

Don’t belittle your part-time or seasonal work experience. A job in retail or summer camp may not seem relevant to the field you’re going into, however you learn a great deal of foundational skills by having a part-time job that prepares you for having a full-time position. Employers like to see that you’re mature enough to hold a job and learn some basic skills and work ethic.

Volunteer Work:

Volunteering can also provide valuable skills and promote leadership and cooperation. It’s good to include any volunteering you’ve been part of in the past, as it can also demonstrate maturity, responsibility, team work and cooperation.

Extra-curricular Activities:

Feel free to list relevant extra-curricular activities on your resume. Anything you do on your free time that shows commitment, leadership, team work, etc. You can demonstrate skills you’ve acquired through your extra-curricular activities. For example if you’ve played on a sports team while in school, this can show you’re a team player and able to successfully handle multiple tasks.

Memberships/ Affiliations:

Including relevant memberships and affiliations can help demonstrate your commitment to a particular field of study, issue, or show your success in a certain area if membership is merit-based.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Amanda Ryan is a Program Development Associate & Senior Resume Writer at RedStarResume. Amanda is a highly skilled resume writing expert and career expert who also specialises in creating, writing and developing career content, working alongside student and graduate job seekers and developing career content for newsletters, partners and career websites.

Need the help of a professional resume writer with expert resume writing skills? Contact the team at RedStarResume!

Click_Here_

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27
Feb

Student And Graduate Resume Writing

By RedStarResume No comments yet


6 Things to Include on your Resume as a Current Student or Recent Gradratuate

stand

One of the first steps in making the transition from student to job seeker is to create a professional resume. At first glance it may seem like you don’t have much to put on your resume as a student or recent grad, however if you assess your past experiences you’ll realize you have more relevant experience to highlight on your resume than you think. Employers look to your past performance to predict your success in the future. As a student or recent graduate, jobs aren’t the only way you can demonstrate your prior success. Remember that resume writing is all about highlighting your achievements. Don’t forget to include examples and evidence to further promote your value added skills to hiring managers.

Relevant Coursework:

As a student or recent graduate, employers realize that so far most of your life has been spent in the classroom, learning and studying. It’s beneficial to highlight coursework that is related to the field you’re applying for. This can show employers that you’ve learned relevant material from your studies and that you have thorough knowledge that can be an asset to their company.

Internships:

Of course you’ll want to include any and all student internships you’ve had in the past. It’s always better if you’ve participated in an internship related to the jobs you’re applying for; however having any type of internship can show a level of maturity and responsibility. It also shows that you’ve been exposed to a real working environment and are better prepared to enter the workforce.

Part-time/ Summer Jobs:

Don’t belittle your part-time or seasonal work experience. A job in retail or summer camp may not seem relevant to the field you’re going into, however you learn a great deal of foundational skills by having a part-time job that prepares you for having a full-time position. Employers like to see that you’re mature enough to hold a job and learn some basic skills and work ethic.

Volunteer Work:

Volunteering can also provide valuable skills and promote leadership and cooperation. It’s good to include any volunteering you’ve been part of in the past, as it can also demonstrate maturity, responsibility, team work and cooperation.

Extra-curricular Activities:

Feel free to list relevant extra-curricular activities on your resume. Anything you do on your free time that shows commitment, leadership, team work, etc. You can demonstrate skills you’ve acquired through your extra-curricular activities. For example if you’ve played on a sports team while in school, this can show you’re a team player and able to successfully handle multiple tasks.

Memberships/ Affiliations:

Including relevant memberships and affiliations can help demonstrate your commitment to a particular field of study, issue, or show your success in a certain area if membership is merit-based.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Amanda Ryan is a Program Development Associate & Senior Resume Writer at RedStarResume. Amanda is a highly skilled resume writing expert and career expert who also specialises in creating, writing and developing career content, working alongside student and graduate job seekers and developing career content for newsletters, partners and career websites.

Need the help of a professional resume writer with expert resume writing skills? Contact the team at RedStarResume!

Click_Here_

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28
Oct

Information Technology Resume Writing For Students and Graduates

By RedStarResume No comments yet

An IT specific resume is different to a regular resume for a number reasons and ensuring that your IT resume is written, formatted and presented correctly is fundamental to standing out from your competition. As a current student or graduate, you probably have limited relevant work experience which is why it’s important to focus your resume on your technical IT skills as opposed to focusing on other areas of your resume which may have little relevance to the job you are applying for.  The most important part of the resume is the opening page and you need to ensure that a hiring manager can easily find your IT skills within the first 10 seconds of reading the resume. Remember that your resume is your marketing document, so don’t be shy in listing and emphasising the value-added skills that will make an employer want to hire you.

Create a Qualifications Profile:

A great way to begin the resume is by creating a 2-3 sentence qualifications profile. Rather than an objective statement (telling the reader what type of job you want), focus on creating a powerful profile that highlights your value-added skills and qualifications. A hiring manager is interested in the skills and qualifications you are able to bring to this particular role, as opposed to being told about the type of job you want.

Highlight your IT Skills:

As an IT student, you probably have a list of various technologies that you are an expert in using. This can include programming languages, desktop operating systems, computer hardware and software etc. This information needs to be on the front page of the resume and right in the reader’s eye line.  A great way to further emphasise your IT skills is by providing examples of how you have used these specific skills. Remember that a large majority of other students will share similar skills to you. By providing examples of how you have used these skills, will help you stand out against the crowd.

Strategic IT Keywords:

Recruiters or hiring managers will often skim over the resume looking for specific IT keywords or use software programs to find key words.  These key words need to be included in your resume and can be easily changed depending on the requirements of the job.  Before you begin to stress out about what keywords to use, all you need to do is simply read the job description, see what the company is looking for and make sure your resume is full of these keywords!

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27
Sep

Tips On How To Make Your Accounting Resume Stand Out

By RedStarResume No comments yet

How to make your accounting resume stand out from the crowd:

The most common questions I receive from accounting students and graduates are “what do I do if my accounting grades are not fantastic?” and “what can I include in my resume that will make it stand out?” The first thing to remember is that most organisations are looking for students and graduates who are willing to learn, are able to be innovative and who work well in a team environment.

My advice for students that don’t have distinction average marks is to focus on highlighting other areas where you can add value to an organisation. Just like the major accounting firms are instant recognisable brands, as a graduate you need to think of yourself as a brand that you are trying to sell to a hiring manager. Think about what makes you unique and how you can sell yourself to that particular organisation. When a hiring manager reads an accounting resume, he or she presumes that all candidates share relatively the same type of skills. In order to stand out, you need to market yourself effectively.

How To Make Your Accounting Resume Stand Out:
Include Accounting Keywords:

With the demand for accounting internships and graduate jobs so high, graduate hiring managers can often receive upwards of 500 – 1000 resumes. As such, many firms now use software programs as a way of performing “first round interviews”. Using selected accounting keywords will ensure that your resume passes the first stage of selection and will not be deleted before a hiring manager has even had a chance to read your application. The best way to find these keywords is by simply reading the job positions. See what the company is looking for and make sure your resume is full of these keywords!

Provide Specific Accounting Examples:

Hiring managers hate to read clichéd resumes. It’s boring and adds no value to your resume. Use examples as much as possible to highlight your examples and the value-added skills that you can bring to the job.

Target the Position that you are applying for:

As a graduate (or soon to be graduate), everything you include in your resume needs to reinforce the message to the reader that you are the right candidate for the position. Don’t waste time on information that doesn’t reflect your suitability for this particular position. Being a good skier and having an interest in tennis is not relevant to an accounting job. Although you may not have relevant job experience, you can still highlight relevant skills that you have acquired throughout your university career and target these skills toward the role you are applying for.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

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Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

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21
Jun

Top 5 Rules for Writing a Targeted Student Resume

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Check out our post on GradConnection – The #1 employment website for students and graduates.

With student internships right around the corner, now is as good a time as any to ensure that your resume is updated and ready to be sent off to hiring managers and future employers. With competition for internships so demanding, it is critical that your resume is not only written, formatted and presented correctly, but is able to capture the reader’s attention instantly. Statistics suggest that a hiring manager will spend no longer than 20 seconds reading your professional resume. No matter how good your grades or your experience, your resume will be discarded if it does not stand out.

Create the right first impression

First impressions are so important when it comes to your resume and cover letter. Resume writing is more of an art form as opposed to an exact science, and while there are no exact rules to follow that will ensure your resume gets noticed, there are many things you can do that won’t help the situation. Firstly, ensure that your resume is reader friendly. Use headings and bullet points to emphasise important information and remove any unnecessary information that does not enhance your application. Does your resume say “Resume” or “Curriculum Vitae” at the top of the page? Remove this! A hiring manager knows that this is your resume and does need to be reminded of this.

Use Correct Spelling and Grammar

It seems so obvious, but incorrect spelling or bad grammar is a huge turnoff to the reader. It immediately reduces your professionalism and creates a negative impression on the reader. Another good tip is to convert your resume from a word document into a PDF. Not only does it look more professional, but it also eliminates any chance of those green or red lines appearing underneath certain words or sentences!

Focus on Achievements

A hiring manager wants to know how you can add value to their business. Ensure that your resume is full of achievement-based examples. Rather than listing all of your subjects in school, for example, emphasise certain subjects that you excelled in and provide examples. If you received a distinction or high distinction, make sure this is included on the resume. If you completed extra-curricular activities, community service or volunteer work, don’t merely list the organisations. Instead, focus on your achievements within those areas or provide examples of where you made a positive difference.

Use Strategic Keywords

With the competition for jobs so fierce, hiring managers can receive up to 1000 resumes for a single position. Because of this, many firms are now using software programs as a way of scanning candidate resumes. Using selected keywords will ensure that your resume passes the first stage of selection and will not be deleted before a hiring manager has even had a chance to read your application.

Provide Value-Added Information

Just because you might not have relevant work experience, don’t make the mistake of including irrelevant information just for the sake of it. Listing your hobbies and interests as “skiing, hiking and gym” may be worthwhile if you’re applying for a job in sports, however a hiring manager at an accounting firm, for example, will be less interested in this information. In fact, this type of information can actually detract from the resume. Concentrate on providing information that will only enhance your application.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Resume From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

Don’t forget  - Use the GradConnection discount code “GRADCONNECTION” and receive a 10% discount off the price of any of our resume services! It’s that easy (Enter the discount code in the “Discount Code Box”)

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04
Apr

Be Careful Of Facebook When You begin Job Seeking

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Facebook And Your Job Application…

It is estimated that over 80% of employers conduct background checks on potential candidates that they are looking to hire, and some of these background checks now include social media checks on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. Almost everyone is on Facebook these days, and while it’s great for your personal life and for keeping in contact with friends and acquaintances, I am finding that it is becoming more and more detrimental to candidates’ job searches.

Companies conduct background checks in order to try to paint an accurate picture of who you really are and to avoid negligent hiring. They want to hire people they can trust to represent the company, and what better way to find out about “the real you” than through social media sites.

Facebook is an interesting (and free) way for employers to check up on you. Not only can they see your basic information, but they can also see your photos and what you discuss with other people on your wall. They can see what networks you belong to and even where you work. For the most part, companies don’t care about how you spend your free time – as long as it’s legal. What they are looking for are racist remarks (not only by you, but also by people who post on your page), sexually explicit photos or videos, and flagrant displays of illegal activity. Any signs of these will raise red flags to anyone performing your background check, and this can hinder your chances at securing your job.

You don’t need to panic and start deleting all of your photos and wall posts right away… especially if you don’t think you have anything to worry about. To start with, what you can do is check – and frequently recheck – your privacy settings on these sites. You might think that your privacy settings are all turned on, but the truth is that many social media sites update and reset these settings on a regular basis, and you might not even know that yours have accidentally been switched off.

The most important thing you can do is be more aware of what you have on your social media sites and go from there. Go through your photos (yes, even from those college days) as you never know what you might find. Are there “questionable” photos of you? Are there inappropriate remarks somewhere on your page that might be taken the wrong way? If you have to think about it, un-tag yourself or delete it…it’s not worth the risk.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

#1 for Student Resumes and Graduate Resumes

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14
Mar

Essential Criteria To Include In Your Resume

By RedStarResume No comments yet

When it comes time to write your resume, you will find that a lot of people will offer differing advice on what to include and exclude from your resume. Sure, a lot of these thoughts are subjective, but there are 5 vital things that need to be on your resume – no matter what. Hiring managers will be looking for the below information (whether it seems obvious or not), so be sure to include these somewhere in your resume.

Contact Information:

While this may seem more than obvious, it goes without saying that it is beyond important that your name and contact details be included in your resume – and make sure these details are correct! I can’t tell you how many times I have tried calling a candidate, only to find that their number listed on their resume is incorrect. It is also quite common for people to have typos in their email addresses. The important thing here is to double check – you don’t want to miss out on an interview simply because a hiring manager can’t contact you!

Professional Experience (if any):

Potential employers are looking for the best candidate to fill a job position, and your professional experience can give them an insight into your capabilities. Remember – they do not know you! The only information they have to go off is on your resume, so make sure you are detailed in listing your experience, duties and responsibilities.

Achievements:

When you include your professional experience on your resume, do not just merely list your daily tasks. Sure, employers do want to know that you’ve held similar or relevant positions, but they also want to know that you are capable of making a positive difference to the organization. Did you introduce new initiatives into the business that increased revenues? Did you consistently meet your targets? Be sure to include this type of information as it is exactly what they’re looking for.

Educational Qualifications:

Educational qualifications are not always compulsory to some job positions, but listing them will never hurt you. If you don’t have a Degree, this is a section where you can list any other relevant certificates you have earned.

Relevant Skills:

Every job advertisement calls for certain qualifications or skills from a candidate, and it’s always a good idea to incorporate these somewhere on your resume. Relevant skills are either incorporated into the body of the resume (for example, skills can be listed as part of a candidate’s professional experience), or they can be listed as their own section either right before or after professional experience on a resume.

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that all resumes are different, and you need to write one that sells you. That being said, however, there are still things that hiring managers must see on a resume, so remember to include your own version of our top 5 suggestions.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

RedStarResume is the number one source for expert Resume Writing and Cover Letter Services

During the last decade, RedStarResume has successfully written hundreds of professional resumes for candidates across the globe. From the student or entry level position to the CEO, our unique, custom-made resumes are written specifically to match the goals and desires of our clients and to help them land jobs.

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06
Jan

Standing Out From The Crowd

By RedStarResume No comments yet

When you dedicate the vast majority of the first quarter of your life to schooling (plus the costs involved in getting an education) it is imperative to ensure that you make the most of your education and begin to set yourself up for the “real world”. In order to take advantage of the skills that you have learned, there are a various extra-curricular activities you can do to ensure that you get the most out of what you have paid for. Internships, part-time jobs and volunteer work are the best ways to not only benefit yourself long term but you cannot go wrong with having a little extra “coin” in the pocket right now.

Internships:

Professional internships are often one of the best ways to further educate yourself about your specific field and to gather an abundance of reputable networks for potential future jobs. It goes without saying that having internship will look good on your resume and instantly impress potential employers. Internships are also a great way to get a shoe in the door into a particular company. Going forward, as you have already gained first-hand experience of the business and its culture, you will have a huge advantage over your competitor’s when the time comes to hire new graduates. Which would you prefer – blindly applying for the role with potentially hundreds of other candidates or being able to reach out to one of your contacts within the business?

Part-Time/ Casual Jobs:

Generally speaking most university students will aim to work part-time during their studies. Not only will you learn real life experiences and grow your networking contacts, it is also possible to make a reasonable income which will help in creating a more balanced approach to your university life. It goes without saying that if you can get a job in your chosen field, this can certainly benefit you going forward. However, any type of job will still be considered as work experience to future prospective employers.

Volunteer Work

Volunteer work is extremely popular amongst graduates. It can be a way of making a difference in the world whilst accumulating experience. It also looks impressive on a resume. Performing volunteer work can teach you an abundance of life skills and provide you with the opportunity to help those in need or to raise funds for a cause that you feel strongly about. In the cut throat world of job seeking, having volunteer work on your resume is always a positive and portrays a positive image and good first impression to the hiring manager.

Does Your Resume Stand Out?

When applying for graduate positions the more value added experience you can include on the resume the greater your chance of finding success. By performing extra-curricular activities, working part time or volunteering your time, will give you an edge over other job candidates who only share similar educational backgrounds to yourself. Remember that as a graduate you need to distinguish yourself from the crowd and brand yourself as a well-rounded job candidate.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

The #1 Professional Resume Service

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30
Oct

Why Job Seekers Require A Professionally Written Resume?

By RedStarResume No comments yet

In today’s society where job hunting has become tougher and tougher and being unemployed is so costly, there are many reasons why job candidates are increasingly turning to resume writing services to give them a greater opportunity to find success. With the growth of the Internet and access to experts in all professions, reaching out for expert assistance is easier than ever before.  Rather than trying to be their own experts, people are now more inclined to reach out to real experts to ensure that the job is done right the first time.

When your hot water tank stops working you call a professional plumber, even though you can probably fix it yourself. You can go online and research how to fix a hot water tank, and you can even pay a few dollars to get a step by step guideline to help fix the tank (I did this and the tank ended up costing twice as much to fix). However, as most people do not have the qualified skills to fix a hot water tank they call in a professional to do the job for them.

The same is true of a professional resume writer or CV writer. Just like a plumber is trained and qualified to fix your hot water tank, a resume writer has the experience and skills to write a resume that will enhance your job application.

What will a resume writer do for me?

The hardest aspect of resume writing is knowing what actually belongs in the resumes and what type of information will make them stand out. In my past experience as a job recruiter, at least 50% of the candidates for each job shared the same type of education and skills. So the question is – what can a candidate do to highlight their resume? This is what a good resume writer can do. They have the ability to understand what needs to go into the resume and how to best present the information. No matter how good your education, skills or experience, if you are unable to present this information to a hiring manager, you will have very little chance of getting the job.

What is the difference between a good resume and a bad resume?

The difference is HUGE. It is no longer good enough to sit down for 20 minutes, type your name at the top of the resume, write down your work history (including a few bullet points about your duties or responsibilities) and expect to be called for interviews. It just does not work that way anymore. Not only does your resume need to be 100% completely targeted toward the job you are applying for, but it also needs to be written for that particular job market. An accounting resume is different to a mining resume and they both need to be written accordingly. Most importantly, highlighting achievements is the number one rule of resume writing. An average resume will focus too much on the day to day duties and responsibilities. These duties are expected of the job candidate and while they are important (and do need to be in the resume), turning these duties into achievements is how to make your resume stand out. This is what an expert resume writer can do for you!

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