Resume & Cover Letter Advise

Remember that the government official reading your resume is probably pressed for time, so keep your resume short and fill it with information that will make your experience relevant to the position in question.

Here are some useful tips to keep in mind while preparing a government resume.

Focus on the following:
• Accomplishments
• Areas of expertise
• Skills
• Certifications

Job Objective:
• Your job target must be clear as you develop your government resume.
• Create a brief headline that describes your career goal.
• List your qualifications.

Summarize:
• Summarize your qualifications and strengths in the top half of the first page of the resume under sections like "Professional Profile" and the "Areas of Expertise".
• Include your industry certifications and licenses.
• List keywords that are pertinent to your career choice.

Emphasize your accomplishments:
• Describe your basic job responsibilities and accomplishments.
• Show the results of your work.

Remember
• Your resume must be relevant for the specific position you are applying for.
• Demonstrate your strengths in the resume through job experiences, academic background, or volunteer/community activities.
• Always put your best selling points first.
• Do not misrepresent yourself or exaggerate; employers check information.
• Keep the resume short and clear.
• Make the resume easy to read. Avoid a cluttered look. Leave spaces between sections. Use headings to organize the details. Leave out irrelevant information and re-write until you think it is crisp and accurate.
• Instead of long paragraphs, distill the matter by creating bulleted, indented, focused statements. Short, powerful lines show the reader, in a glance, exactly why they should keep reading.
• Use the keywords pertinent to your job profile.
• Connect your skills to your job history.

Successful companies rely heavily on their Human Resources Department and the individuals that work there. The job responsibilities of the human resource professional are varied and include, but are not limited to, the hiring of new employees, dealing with labor disputes, compensation and benefits programs, union and labor relations and more. Human resource professionals must also, at times, play the role of counselor by offering assistance to employees dealing with personal issues, so as an HR employee you must also know how to interact on a personal level as well. A good human resources resume will reflect all of these responsibilities and roles and demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of how to handle them.

Creating an Effective Human Resources Resume
Your human resources resume should demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of HR policies and how they affect a business’ missions and goals. Your resume should highlight your understanding of your job responsibilities as an HR professional and the responsibilities that you have already had in this capacity. You can make your resume stand out by emphasizing more than just the responsibilities you have had and showing how your services truly benefited the organization under which you were employed.

Resume Titles:
Possible resume titles you may want to consider include HR, HR assistant, HR director, human resources manager, human resources generalist, payroll supervisor, staffing manager, human resource specialist, HRIS analyst, HR benefits analyst, personnel supervisor, recruiter, personnel representative, executive recruiter, benefits coordinator, human resources coordinator, director of recruiting, compensation analyst.

When designing your resume, you can help yourself specify your achievements and clarify your understanding of the job by considering the following:
• Did you initiate or develop a new HR policy or procedure?
• Was there a notable improvement in employee retention or satisfaction as a result of your job performance?
• Did you contribute in any way to improving morale in the company?
• Were you instrumental in improving the benefits program or in launching new employee benefits?
• Did you implement any effective strategies for screening and recruitment?
• Did you play a role in any HR systems that noticeably enhanced efficiency in the department?
• Did you play a role in training new or existing staff? If so, how many people did you train?
• Were you responsible for any organizational development initiatives, such as assisting in the integration of two organizations after an expansion, merger, or downsizing?
• What responsibilities did you have in special projects?
• Did you participate in any leadership initiatives with positive results?

Listed below are some useful tips for building a help desk resume. They include several impact statements for a secretary/administrative assistant. Keep in mind that your resume should clearly define and describe your job duties as well as your work accomplishments.

* Describe your involvement in training or orienting other staff about office policies and procedures.
* List awards or honors such as “Employee of the Month” or “100% Attendance” that you may have received.
* Include contributions you made toward improving office relations or functions, or, customer service.
* Describe how you used technology to enhance support functions.
* Describe Power Point presentations you may have designed or seminars you may have presented.
* Include any customer database responsibilities you may have had such as tracking, reporting, and customer service.
* Emphasize your ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment in a professional and timely manner.
* Emphasize your professional image, both in person and on the phone.
* List contributions you made to special projects as well as positive feedback you may have received from clients.

Help Desk Resume Template

Contact Information:
1. Full name
2. Permanent addresses
3. Telephone numbers
4. Email addresses
Objective:
Begin your resume with a clear, concise statement that describes the position, industry and/or relevant skills you hope to achieve e.g., “To obtain a position at XYZ Corporation in order to utilize and build upon my professional skills as…”
Summary of Qualifications:
Using a narrative statement, explain why a company would benefit from your employment. List the main reasons why you should be called in for an interview, e.g., “Help desk technician with five years of experience diagnosing and resolving technical problems in a multi-user environment. Possess advanced knowledge of Windows NT, Windows 2000 Professional, Microsoft Office...”
Education: Begin with most recent degree.
1. Name of university, city, and state
2. Degree, major and year awarded
3. GPA (optional)
Skills :
Describe your skill sets in your resume as “Help Desk / Desktop Support Specialist”. Include appropriate keywords e.g., "Troubleshoot, research, diagnose, document, and resolve technical issues surrounding Windows NT, Windows 2000 Professional…”
Experience: List your experiences beginning with the most recent. Include accomplishments, technical achievements or contributions. Technical achievements could include such tasks as setting up workstations and laptops for new employees, configuring systems, ensuring network connectivity, etc.
Activities: List college or community activities and memberships in professional organizations.
Personal Information: This should include certifications, security clearances, patents, special awards and citizenship.
Consider what keywords to use carefully, as they’re an important part of your resume. For the resume title consider keywords such as office assistant, secretary, service manager, office clerk, data entry clerk, front desk receptionist, office manager, customer service representative, executive secretary.
For the body of your resume consider keywords such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Windows NT/98/95, vendor/contractor relations, distribution, accounts receivable, accounts payable, benefits administration, purchasing, inventory control, facilities maintenance, database management, documentation, spreadsheets, office support, customer support, office management.

How To Write A Great Resume

Your resume is the most important tool you can use to land a job. This means you must take great care in preparing it. Here are some tips to help you.

• Design your resume so that it is eye catching.
• Keep your resume concise. Avoid lengthy descriptions of projects of which you were only a member of the team.
• Check and proofread your resume after you have written it. Your resume must contain no spelling or grammatical errors.
• List your qualifications in order of relevance, from most to least. Only list your degree and educational qualifications first if they are truly relevant to the job for which you are applying. If you've already done what you want to do in a new job, by all means, list it first, even if it wasn't your most recent job. Abandon strict adherence to a chronological ordering of your experience.
• Make sure your resume is ‘aimed’ at the job you are applying for.
• Identify key words in the job ad and use these keywords in your resume.
• Create your image so that it matches the salary you are expecting.
• List your technical knowledge in an organized way. Your strengths must stand out clearly at the beginning of your resume.
• Don’t be shy about your experience. Cite numerical figures, such as monetary budgets/funds saved, time periods/efficiency improved, lines of code written/debugged, numbers of machines administered/fixed, etc. All these show progress and accomplishments due to your work.
• Use action verbs. Portray yourself as someone who is active, uses their brain, and gets things done. Use the past tense, even for descriptions of currently held positions, to avoid confusion.
• Don't sell yourself short. Your resume is your best advertisement.
• If you're over 50 or 60, remember that you don't have to present your entire work history. You can simply label that part of your resume "Recent Work History" or "Relevant Work History" and then describe only the last 10 or 15 years of your experience.
• Don't go too far back in your work history. About 10 or 15 years is usually enough - unless your "juiciest" work experience is from farther back.
• What if you never had any "real" paid jobs? Give yourself credit, and create an accurate, fair job-title for yourself.

These are difficult times to find a decent job. Most of us can do many part-time jobs, from babysitting to cashiering, dishwashing to being a store clerk. You can actually find any kind of job in any state. While a part time job may be easy to find, looking for a steady income in a company that will provide you with job security is a rather different story.

How exactly do you start hunting for a job? What will you need to help and support you? Do you need to prepare anything? Where do you start looking for a job? Here are some job hunting tips that will help you in your search.

Go online
The old fashioned newspaper job hunting still works and many companies still prefer this method of advertising. But the modern way to look for various positions is via the Internet. This is even truer if the work involves or requires hi-tech, internet or computer savvy. This way, the company can be sure that the candidates that they have called in for interview are those who know how to switch on the computer.

Use your network
We all have networks. They are our family and friends. So ask people that you know for referrals. It can often look bad for you to manage to get inside a company through someone you know, but it will work very well if you are qualified for the job! But be prepared for the added pressure of showing people that you deserve to be hired!

Promote yourself
If you want to land a job that will raise your career to greater heights, make sure that people know that you exist. One way to do this is to compose a resume that sings your praises but will stand up to scrutiny. A good resume is an excellent way of promoting yourself. Everything that you include in your resume are facts; the education that you have, the things that you have accomplished, the awards that you have received and the positions you have held.

In your resume, enumerate the skills that you have. Include everything, from cooking to knowing half a dozen languages. Who knows, one may just be important. Also be sure to list your previous experience, especially if there are specialist skills and know- how involved.

Examine your skills
Take a long, hard look at your skills and talents and then apply for a position that will need those skills and talents. Make sure you have attended the latest courses and have the necessary certifications. Update you computer skills.

There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that you have composed the cover letter of your life. It is outstanding! It contains every iota of information that anyone ever told you to include. The bad news is no one is going to read it.

It’s confusing. These cover letters don't really matter at all and at the same time they are very important. The cover letters are unimportant because they don't contain any information that isn't in either the CV or the job application that it covers. Your address and phone numbers will be on both and it isn't as if you offer any new information in the cover letter. What is required on a cover letter is really “Dear Sir or Madam, enclosed please find my application/CV and I look forward to meeting you so that we can discuss further steps.” It should also contain you address, ID or Social security number and telephone contact numbers.

Your Talisman recruitment consultant will be able to help with all of the finer details of the letter, just as they will with the CV and the other information required on the actual job application. They are an important resource you really do want to make use of. Most of us send out very few such cover letters in a lifetime while they deal with them all day and every day. They will also be able to offer good advice on current styles and wording.

This is where cover letters become important. Styles change over time and you want to make sure that you are completely up to date at the time you're applying. Remember that companies and industries are rather like tribal organizations. The way things are done in marketing is subtly different from the automobile industry, which is different again from the home building industry or high-rise construction.

The style of address on a cover letter, the wording, the spelling of the manager’s and the company’s name and how you end your letter are all important. These are all things that are in a constant state of flux and can be at different stages of change in different industries.

Your Talisman consultant can help you get them right. Your cover letter must show that you are a member of the correct tribe and that you are up to date with everything that’s going on.

The company closed down. It was all very civilized. I wasn’t fired or replaced or downsized or made redundant. It had nothing to do with me. They never even bother to consult me on the matter!

But now, all of a sudden, it is my business and I’m right in the middle. I have to find a new job. What I dread and hate the most. I have to get super-organized. I have to open a list of companies I have applied to. I have to list my contacts and their contacts. And I have to update my resume.

Perhaps the most important item in this exercise is the resume. It must be neat and all items and especially names, must be correctly spelled. It must be modern looking and up to date. It must be truthful - don’t forget that the interviewer may check out your information. The format should be simple and plain, but it should highlight your accomplishments.

You need to write a cover letter to go with the resume, and the resume, cover letter and envelope should all be on the same matching paper. The font should be clear and easy to read and in an easily readable font. I make everything in size 12 New Times Roman.

Use positive words to describe your skills. Make the document ‘reek’ of confidence. Your resume should be one page only. Present the information as concisely as possible. There will be a place in the cover letter, and possibly an interview, to elaborate on your skills. Resumes that are too long are often put aside because employers simply don't have the time to read them. The information must be relevant to the position you are applying for. Do not forget to attach your cover letter.

There are sites on the internet where you can find ideas about the format of your resume. Outline your skills to show your best accomplishments. The categories that you include on your resume must be relevant to the position for which you are applying.

Skills: List some of the things you do reasonably well that are relevant to the position. Are you going for a position as a teacher's aid? List the duties you had in baby-sitting or list the duties you undertook while tutoring. If you have worked as a volunteer, list that experience as well.

References: Say that you will furnish these upon request. But be prepared with a list of three to five people that have consented to give you a recommendation. Include those who are familiar with your work as it relates to the position.

Finally the resume is about selling yourself. Give them just enough information to make them call you for more details.

When people ask if they must send their resume with a cover sheet, I stress how important this is. Many employers won't even consider resumes without cover sheets these days. Then I go on to tell them how important it is to write a good letter to send with their resume. There’s not much point in sending off a great resume with a hopelessly written cover letter.

So how does one write a good cover sheet for a resume? To make sure you have the greatest prospects in securing that new job, read this guide on how to write a good cover sheet for a resume?

The requirement of a cover sheet for the resume is relatively new and has become necessary through the increasing complexity of the job market. Cover sheets have even became vital when applying for some jobs, with employers requiring a cover sheet before even considering your resume.

A cover sheet must include several items of information.
o Your name.
o The position number and/or position code of the job you are applying for.
o The name of the position you are applying for.
o The date you are available to begin employment
o Your signature of acknowledgement.

Go for it!

From my first days as a writer I was told to be very particular with the cover letters I wrote to editors. No joking, no remarks and keep the tone of the letter professional. And that is what I have done. I treat all other correspondence with editors in the same way.

I write all my letters in Times New Roman font and I go to great pains about the setting out of the page to make the letters as pleasant looking and as readable as possible. I use the Bold and Italic features as little as possible. I leave wide margins so the editor can make notes in them. If I have to add any titles I use Arial bold, which goes well with the Times New Roman and I never use a font larger than 12. I keep my sentences short and to the point.

As to the length of the letter, I try and make it as concise and as articulate as possible. I work on the basis that the editor is always very busy and will only devote a limited amount of time to each letter. So to make sure he or she gets all the way through my letter, it is crisp and to the point. I do my best to write a letter that conveys a little of my personality and a lot about my skills as a writer. After all, if the editor doesn’t like my cover letter, it is unlikely that they will like my article. If I can’t sell myself in 20 lines, I may never be able to sell myself at all.

I never use words and phrases that aren’t found in daily conversation. Just because your letter is professional, it doesn't mean that cannot be ‘user-friendly’. When you read your letter out loud it should be smooth and contain normal language and vocabulary.

Take a ‘less is more’ approach to your cover letter. Choose your font, keep it simple, no more than one page and print with black ink on white paper. You will not attract positive attention by using colored ink or paper. Cover letter writing relies on clarity and not color.

Your letter should include a short paragraph describing your track record in the literary field. You should also include a short summary that states why your work is unique and marketable.

Your may express appreciation to the publisher for the time they spend with your manuscript but don’t overdo this.

The hardest part is patience. It’s going to take time. It can take weeks, months or maybe a year to receive a response from the publisher. Do not call them and ask if they’ve read your letter yet. This will probably decrease your chances of acceptance.