Advice for writing a strong resume

Creating a strong, solid resume involves several steps, which, when taken together, prove fruitful for an improved resume. Simple enough in themselves, it is important to actually go through and check that all the elements needed for a strong resume appear. First of all, an aesthetically clean, grammatically correct, and clear resume is a must. This indicates a well-educated and polished individual. The resume must be well organized and focused to be considered. In other words, include only previous employments that apply to the new job which you want in most relevant order. In the process of polishing up your resume, be sure that it stays interesting to the perspective employer. Your resume should be specific to each job to which you are applying, and your resume should speak for you as to why you are the right candidate. Your resume represents you, so the impression your resume makes is the impression that you have made. With these points in mind while writing and revising your resume, you shall end with a strong, attention-grabbing resume. Language is indispensable to us and we use it constantly, but grammar, spelling, and writing style have taken a back seat for the majority of us thanks to computer technology which corrects for us. All too often though, these corrections leave much to be desired. In other words, it is still up to the writer to ensure that what he has written is well written. Any blatant spelling or grammar errors jump out at the reader, and your strengths and talents take a far back seat to the minor spelling mistakes. Revisions must be done on resumes, and the first revision should check for correct grammar and spelling. Many executives find that typos and grammar mistakes are the most common oversights writers make on their resumes ( jobweb/resources/Library/Interviews__Resumes/Typos__Grammati_270_1.htm ). Having someone else proofread is wise, as it is always easier to see others’ mistakes rather than our own. Resume builder websites specializing in optimizing and improving resumes are also a great idea to help you avoid the pitfalls of resume writing. These specialists will view your resume objectively and will notice mistakes, both of grammar and good resume form. Clarity and conciseness are also important in the resume. The fewer unnecessary words and the more direct your phrases are, the easier it is to read through your resume. Keep in mind that resumes are not read, they are merely read through. They are glanced at, or at best skimmed, so the clearer and more concise you are in expressing yourself, the larger portion of your resume will be noticed. One page resumes are preferred as they are concise and help you focus. This focus forces you to choose and include only your most important jobs and achievements. When writing a resume, never lose focus. Remember the point of the resume: the key to securing interviews. Thus, make sure that every point included in your resume indicates to the resume reader why you are the one who should get the interview and, eventually, the job. Don’t include extras in your resume. If they have nothing to do with the skills and talents you will need for the job you want, they do not belong on the resume. Again, keep in mind that resumes are only skimmed over, and so should contain only that information which applies. If you have a life experience that is so unique and interesting that you have to put it on your resume, tie a skill learned from it with the job you hope for. The unique activity will be noticed, and the fact that you learned from it in a way that will help you at future jobs will be viewed as a plus. In keeping organized and focused, state your work experience in relevant order. Hopefully, and most likely, your most recent work experience is most relevant to your future job. If you are fresh out of college, you will likely want to prioritize your education, as presumably you will not have a meaty employment section at this point. On the other hand, if your college graduation is an old, fond memory at this point, start your resume with work experience. Following the above tips will help keep the attention of your prospective employer. Keeping the interest of those reading your resume is vital, since these are the people who will be contacting you for an interview. Clearly indicating your career goals is a wise choice. It is an immediate indicator if yours are compatible with and conducive to the company you are applying to. The use of words indicating action, initiative, and energy is an intelligent move. Such words will help you focus on what you have done personally, and make your resume specific and unique. It is wise to have a template resume from which you format specific ones for each job that you apply to. This way, you will never have a generic resume, which will naturally impress potential employers. When you take the time to personalize your resume, you show that you want the job more than others who are not willing to input this time and energy into theirs. A specific resume will wax the interest of the resume reader, and give rise to questions they will want to ask upon meeting you. In other words, the reader will want to interview you. There are resume builder services that you can utilize on the web to help ensure your resume is polished and professional. Shop around to find one that best suits your needs. Investing time into your resume will lead to an investment of time by those reading it. The resume is the first impression you make on a potential employer, so use it to your advantage, and compose it carefully to separate yourself from other applicants. While it is important to use a standard resume format, it is not important, and even discouraged, to base your resume on the ‘standard’. The only result will be an average resume, and you want anything but. So focus your resume on your personal achievements and goals in a well-written, organized, focused, and interesting presentation. Once you send out this well-prepared resume, make sure your phone stays on as those phone calls start coming in.

Creating your own luck

Losing my job in the last recession of the last century, I discovered first hand the power of creating your own luck. A week later, I decided to locate an interim position while I looked for a "real" one. Accepting a temporary position at minimum wage in an industry I knew little about, I decided the way to enjoy the position was to learn everything I could and contribution all that I could. I poured over manuals in my down time, developed processes to expedite the work, trained new employees, volunteered for additional assignments, and did anything that needed to be done. Four weeks into a ten week job, I was unexpectedly offered my first management position. If I had listened to my friends cautioning me that taking a minimum wage position was career suicide, if I had been concerned about accepting a job "beneath" my education or experience level, or if I had only done what was expected, I would have missed an opportunity that led to five promotions in the next seven years. It has been my experience over the years, while climbing the corporate ladder to Vice President of a multi-billion dollar company, that opportunity is everywhere and anywhere. Often, it’s in unexpected places for those who differentiate themselves in the workplace. People who do what is expected of them, do it very well, "and then some" have opportunities arise that others never do. And people who set their ego aside, contributing everything they can to the task at hand, often create their own luck. That’s because initiative is a powerful commodity in the workplace. People offering to do extra work only if they get paid for it, or take on extra responsibility only if their salary is increased first, have it backwards in my book. My advice: do the work, do it well, and then do it even better. Higher pay, greater responsibilities and increased opportunities follow individuals who are contributors. Anytime I looked to hire people, offer permanent positions to temporary employees or interns, start up new departments or businesses, or promote individuals, I looked for people doing their job well ... "and then some". (c) 2004 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.

Airline dispatcher job sites

: In several related articles I made mention of finding work as a flight coordinator, as a flight attendant, or as a pilot. Each specialty, as you can imagine, has its own requirements, hence the job sites that feature these types of opportunities are not always the same. If you have some idea where to look – besides contacting an employer directly – you can narrow down your searches and, hopefully, shorten the entire job hunting process. The following list contains some of the sites that are most helpful in listing viable opportunities for airline dispatchers. Aviation Employment Board – This site offers free registration and allows for you to post your resume for free as well. Airlines featured include United, Continental, Trans States, Spirit, Southwest, Northwest, Mesa, EOS, Champion, Pace, and a host of others including many European and Asian carriers. Please visit aviationemploymentboard. net for more detailed information.

Monster – Monster regularly lists over 800,000 opportunities, including many airline openings. There is no charge to register and you are permitted to list your resume for free as well. Please visit monster for more information. Avianation – One of the largest aviation related job sites online, Avianation features a variety of opportunities, including many dispatcher positions.

There is a fee involved for their service, currently set at $9.95 per month or $80.55 annually. Occasionally, posted specials drop the price considerably so visit this site for current information: avianation today. Air Jobs Daily – As one of the leading job posting sites for the aviation industry online, Air Jobs Daily features a variety of opportunities for business and commercial aviation employees.

Air Jobs Daily charges an annual fee of $77.95 which also includes a subscription to the Air Jobs Digest, a periodical featuring additional job listings and aviation related information. Please visit airjobsdaily for more information. Hot Jobs – Hot Jobs, owned by search engine giant Yahoo, is an employment site featuring several hundred thousand opportunities, including airline jobs. Registration is free and you may list your resume for free too. Please stop by hotjobs for more information.

Career Builder – The largest job posting site online is Career Builder which at any given time lists more than one million jobs. Airline jobs, such as flight dispatchers are listed, perhaps not in as abundance as some of the aviation sites, but a good place to look nevertheless. Membership is free and you can list your resume for no charge too. Visit careerbuilder for all the details. Other sites that feature airline dispatcher opportunities include: AEPS, Plane Jobs, Jet Jobs , and Skyjobs. Please note that most of the paid sites contain the same job opportunities as each of the other sites, therefore belonging to more than one is not cost effective.