Think of your resume as a representation of you. Your resume is a fact sheet that could reveal how you conduct your self, apart from the professional and educational qualifications. Does your resume show you to be a careful and organized person? Or does it come across as a hastily put-together document with uneven margins and text blocks?

It is often said, God is in the details. Think of it this way, why do some people make such a fuss about details? Is it really worth all the trouble?

Job Seeker, Double Check; Double Check

Look at this piece of text:

“My name is Hester. I work from a small town called Leeways. I wake up every morning for work and cache a train to my office. Before this, I wake up at 6 a.m. and make my cup of coffee with about a teaspoon of coffee powder and some sugar. For breakfast, I like my eggs poached and with two slices of toast done really well. I work as a lathe engineer from morning 9 am to evening 5, and I am well-versed with most lathe machines…”

If you noticed, it is not just about spelling mistakes; it is also about the way the piece is written. The writer, Hester, refers to work one moment, veering to breakfast, before talking about his occupation. The result is a write-up that tends towards confusion and mixing up.

When checking for errors, no amount of effort is enough. Ask any proofreader and she/he will tell you how despite numerous checks, certain mistakes will still creep in.

However, not all mistakes will spoil the entire piece of text. There is a huge difference between being lazy or not being thorough and between the stray typographical error (or typos) that pass even the most careful eye.

Check if it Reads Well

You wouldn’t really like reading several paragraphs of text written if they were written like Hester’s paragraph above. Is there a chance you’d think this person seems to be fairly confused in whatever else he does too?

How would it be if this person, Hester, wrote a letter to you asking for your help in some matter, any kind of help? Probably you’d hesitate. Which brings us to the point of this article: Details are highly important. If your resume is not done up perfectly, it will put off a prospective employer. It will not matter whether you attended a top-rated school or worked for a very well-known business house. Compounded with a competitive job market, any carelessness on your part in creating your resume could lead you into losing opportunities.

Tweet This Post

Have you been laid off from your job? Here are some tips on how to survive the layoff. We all know that right now the unemployment rate is the highest in the country for a century. However, there are a few key things you can do to survive being laid off from your job.

First, deal with that overwhelming feeling of, “How could this happen to me?” Well it did, and you are not alone. You have to really stay focused and maintain a strategy that will pull you through these tough times. Whether you have been at your place of employment for several years or a few weeks, panic will try to set in. Don’t let that happen.

One of the first things you can do is contact a career counselor. Find a company that does career evaluations to see if they may have a potential match for your skills. Also a career advisor can explain to you what some of the potential employers are looking for in skill sets. They will set you in the right direction so you can polish up on some of the skills that a potential new employer is seeking.

Some career centers will even offer help with upgrading and updating your proficiency in your current skills and help you become more marketable. The more skills you have, the better your chances are of finding a new employer.

Also, maintain a very controlled budget at home. You may have to cut back on some of the items you took for granted before. Going out to eat may have been a way of life, now it is a luxury again. Don’t be too concerned about the things you use to do, focus on what you need to do now.

Also, if you have any savings in a 401k, think about if you really need to draw on those funds now or should you wait? Cashing out your retirement will cost you a huge lump sum and you will not be able to replace that money so quickly.

As the Job Market starts going on the upswing you may find that the job you once had is harder to replace, so be flexible. Again, your career advisor may find you an employer with a possible job; however, you may need to modify your expectations.

Being laid off is never easy for anyone, especially now. There is hope for those who are persistent in seeking employment. Take that extra step. Rather than just applying online, go to the company and drop off your resume. You may even want to get the name of the human resources person and mail them a personal copy of your resume and a cover letter.

Now may be the time for you to polish up those outdated skills, and learn new ones. It may even be time to change your career choice altogether. A Career Advisor can tell you what is or will be high in demand in the foreseeable future. They work with many companies and have the inside knowledge of what employers are looking for.

Tweet This Post

For some, returning back to work is pure torture. People do not want to feel like they are starting over. The good thing is that it doesn’t have to be that way. Returning back to work provides peace of mind about finances and gives people a place to put their hard earned skills to work.

One of the things you may have to do is to think about whether or not you still have all the right skills for the job you are interested in. If you possess a degree in a certain area of work, you may want to consider applying for jobs in that particular area before any other. Most employers base their decision to hire someone one on the amount of skills they have. In the employer’s eyes, it is much easier to hire someone who has all the necessary skills than to have to go through the entire training process with someone completely new to the job.

It is important not to limit yourself to one career area. If you have the skills to do more than one type of job, then you should apply to each and every one of those jobs. Finding available positions can easily be accomplished by checking in with some online classifieds websites like Careerbuilder, Hotjobs, and Monster. These sites alone should be enough to help you find what you are looking for. If you need more variety, then make sure to check your local newspaper’s classifieds section as well. Checking the job section as frequently as possible is recommended because listings change constantly. Jobs are literally here one minute and gone the next.

No matter how bad the economy gets or has been in the past, there will always be some very aggressive job hunters shopping in the job market, snatching the best jobs the country has to offer. When you create your resume, make certain that it is a surefire attention-getter. It needs to be neat, not too wordy, and to the point about how you can benefit the company you are applying to. Always include a cover letter especially tailored to fit your potential employer’s expectations. Give legitimate reasons and honest answers to all of your employer’s questions. If asked why you have a gap between employment times, be completely honest. Your employer will find you to be reliable and respectable, which will heighten your chances of being able to return to work at a job you actually want.

Although it may have been a while since you worked, not too much has changed in the world of work. If you feel as if you have lost some of your skills, you may need to take a training course or two at your local college in order to polish up. Other than that, confidence and honesty are everything. Just be straightforward, aggressive, and honest about everything and you will definitely be back in position in no time.

Tweet This Post