Resumes that Get the Job Done
CONTACT: Sean McCaffrey www.SeanMcCaffrey.com
Resumes That Will Win You the Job
Your resume is the first opportunity that a prospective employer will have to get a great impression of you. You should spend a great deal of time preparing your resume so that your skills and abilities are reflected well. You want your resume to stand out among the customer service resumes that the prospective employer is reviewing. Your resume letter writing skills will be evaluated and you want to guarantee yourself a shot at an interview.
The job market is filled with people that are looking for employment. This makes the competition very stiff and you need to take advantage of any opportunity you can to leave a good impression of yourself with the recruiting staff. You can achieve the chance for an interview, even above someone with a stronger background, if your resume is prepared correctly.
Formatting is very important when it comes to a resume. You want your resume to look professional and be very easy to read. When a prospective employer looks over a resume and has trouble deciphering the content, they are sure to move on to the next resume in the stack and forget all about the one they were not able to follow.
The top of your resume should include your name and your contact information. These are vital pieces of information because if they are incorrect or incomplete, the employer will not be able to contact you even if they wanted to. You should list your mailing address as well as your phone number. It is best to include a cellular phone number and a home number so that you are sure to get a message or to be available when they call to arrange an interview. You may also consider putting in your email address. More is better in this case.
You should begin the next section of the resume with an objective. This is where you tell the employer what it is that you are looking for in a company. You should tell them that you are looking for an employer that will allow you to make use of your skills and abilities to benefit the company. You may want to tell them that you are looking for long term employment and the opportunity for advancement when it arises.
You can really tell the employer a lot about your drive and commitment in this little section of the resume. Your statement should be strong and interesting and should get the attention of the person that is reading it. Grammar is very important as well as many positions require the ability to communicate well, both orally and in writing.
The next section of the resume will include all of your work history. You want to build this list in chronological order, most recent to oldest. Be sure to include the time frames that you worked at each company as this will show that you are not a job hopper and that you are committed to working hard for your employer. You should also include a brief description of your responsibilities at the company. Be sure to list any skills that were obtained that directly relates to the position that you are applying for.
This section of the resume should be followed by a list of skills and abilities that you possess. Be sure, again, that your list pertains to the position you are applying for. If you are applying for an office position they really do not need to know that you are a great golfer. The recruiting staff will be more interested in the programs and software that you are familiar with and possibly how fast you can type. If you have knowledge about programs that are used specifically for the field that you are applying for then you should definitely include them here.
Take some time to review the job posting that you are responding to. If they ask you to provide a salary requirement, be sure to do it. If you are fairly new to the field and are not sure what salary range is acceptable for the position, it is fine to simply put "open for discussion". Now remember, if you put this on your resume you must be prepared to discuss it in an interview. This will at least buy you some time to research what the average salary range is for the position.
If you would like more information about customer service resumes or resume letter writing topics, please visit www.seanmccaffrey.com. You are sure to find the information that you are looking for and much more.
Sean McCaffrey- www.seanmccaffrey.com
My name is Sean McCaffrey, and I decided to venture out on my own as an employment coach at the beginning of the year. There were two driving influences:
The initial prompting was the lack of assistance available to help skilled and unemployed professionals get back into the workforce. A mentor I closely work with asked me when I was going to stop complaining about it and fill this gap. In my most recent as an employee, I spearheaded a workforce development program helping the unemployed of our community position themselves for employment. In my front row seat, I saw first hand what was really missing in the trenches of re-employment training.
In that position, I created a curriculum of relevant workshops enhancing soft skill development, computer skills, personal branding, etc. and initiated partnerships with the business community. It did not take long to recognize this was my true passion. Shortly thereafter, I also realized that I would not be able to provide top-flight services to the unemployed from my position within an agency. With that in mind, I strapped on my parachute, took my mentors advice and leapt out on my own.
I am uniquely qualified because I have been on all sides of the table. As a traditional employee, I have had jobs from middle management to upper management in a wide variety of industries. This experience included the construction industry and financial services. Then I moved into both the education and non-profit arenas.
Before leading the workforce development program, I worked in higher education as the Director of Graduate Services for a local career college. When I took over the department, their performance metrics were hanging significantly below the national standards. Using a specific and detailed three-month game plan, my team and I worked hard to raise the bar, helping graduates and alumni get hired within their field.
One of our major focuses, and in turn successes, was linking the degree and certificate programs with the corresponding sectors of the local business community. In addition, I identified what each employer was looking for in potential candidates. This allowed us to be more detailed, accurate, and appropriate in matching jobs for graduate/alumnus within each individual employment opportunity.
Through this specific and targeted effort, we strengthened our business and community relationships, and the career college became a significant business partner in tune with the needs of the community. This job helped me gain valuable experience as a recruiter, and it allowed me to discover what both the potential employer and potential employee look to gain from one another.
As a traditional employee, I have had more than my share of jobs. Some were a great fit, while others proved less fulfilling. With the positions I have had the privilege of filling, more than half came to me through personal relationships. The balance I learned of through recruiters- two of which were via online job postings.
There has only been one instance of interviewing for a position, where I was not offered the job. Suffice to say, I have had incredible success in earning employment. For me, it was never important for me to have one employer or one career. I enjoy learning and trying new things.
Because of my financial success, I have had the luxury of being able to dabble a little bit. This knowledge and job experience continues to help me as an employment coach. From helping clients better position for employment opportunities to better understanding work dynamics and other subtleties on the job, this decision to help others has been more rewarding than I ever anticipated.
As far as formal education, I have a Bachelors Degree in History followed by a Masters Degree in Business Administration. No doubt about it, having these academic degrees has created opportunities for me. However, I have come to believe that academic background is just one single component of their self, experience, and employment package. And unless your profession is technical by nature, this component can be overstated.
Treating everyone with the same level of respect, building relationships and continuously learning are just as important. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you and helping you get the job you are most uniquely suited for.
Sincerely, Sean McCaffrey Employment Coach
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