2011

LONG
REPORT

JOB
APPLICATIO
NS / CV
GROUP MEMBERS:
Harees Ahmad (reg#148)
Faisal Nasim (reg#26)
Zainab Altaf (reg#96)
 TABLE OF CONTENT
1.1. Objectives of job applications:..........................................................................................4

1.2. Purpose of Job applications:..............................................................................................4

1.3. Importance of Job Applications: .......................................................................................4

2.1. Understanding the problem:.............................................................................................5

2.2 Understand your goals...................................................................................................... 5

2.3. Understand your audience............................................................................................... 5

2.4. Time constraint................................................................................................................ 5

2.5. Skill set expectations........................................................................................................6

2.6 Professional Expectations..................................................................................................6

2.A.1. How to write a cover letters.......................................................................................6

Step 1: Prepare Before Writing Your Letter.............................................................................6

Step 2: Choose a Cover Letter Style........................................................................................7

Step 3: Begin Your Cover Letter

................................................................................................................................................ 7

Definition............................................................................................................................... 26

Personal details.................................................................................................................... 27

Personal profile/career objective...........................................................................................27

Education.............................................................................................................................. 27

Experience............................................................................................................................. 28

Positions of responsibility, achievement, interests................................................................28

Referees................................................................................................................................ 28

Layout................................................................................................................................... 29

“Proven Success Strategies................................................................................................30

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ABSTRACT

In this semester course long report we have discussed job applications in which
mainly we focus on application letters (to elaborate the skills and capabilities),
resumes and CVs. Firstly we analyzed the complete environment, understand the
audience and goals. While conducting interviews readers have limited time to read
application letters, resumes and CVs. So, the challenging task over here is to compel
the reader to invite you for interview by setting a creative and well formatted
document. In this long report we have discuss how we can make our job
applications/CV effective to impress the readers. We have discussed the objectives,
format, tips of job application/CV and have provided the readers with the guiding
samples as well for their convenience.

I. Introduction to Job applications:

Job application /CV include job application letters also called cover letters,
resume and CVs. In this long report we will discuss all the necessary details of it.

 Detail discussion of Cover Letters

There is three types of cover letters the following table illustrates them.

Types of Cover Letters

No Name Description
.
1 Application This letter responds to a known job opening.
Letter
2 Prospecting This letter inquires about possible positions.
Letter
3 Networking This letter requests information and assistance
Letter in your job search.

We will discuss only application letters in this report. Secondly we will discuss CV in
detail and then resume.

 Difference between CV and Resume:

The primary differences between a resume and curriculum vitae (CV) are the details of
information of one’s life. A Resume is brief account of one’s professional or work
experience or qualification often submitted with employment applications - no more
than a page or two. A resume is a relatively short listing of a candidate’s
qualifications, employment history and achievements. Resume basics tend to dictate
that this marketing tool favor brevity, although

resume styles can vary. While a Curriculum Vitae includes more in-depth information
than a resume. This means expanding some categories and adding others. CV styles
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can also vary, but most include work history, achievements, skills and the life history
of a candidate. Improving your resume or CV can be an important step toward landing
a position. It is helpful to review sample resumes and CVs to get ideas for appearance,
content and formatting.

1.1. Objectives of job applications:

The challenging objective of cover letter to encourage reader to

a. look over your resume

b. force him to invite you for interview

Readers have a bundle of job applications and CV crossing from their eyes each day.
The basic aim is to make your job application attractive and well designed enough to
encourage the reader to invite you for interview.

1.2. Purpose of Job applications:

 Resume is a marketing tool with one specific purpose to win an interview. A
resume is an advertisement of one’s entire course of life all in all in minimum
span of words. A great resume doesn't just tell them what you have done but
makes the same assertion that all good ads do.
 The basic purpose of a CV is to allow an employer to gain an insight into of the
applicant who he is, his achievements, skills, qualifications and work history. To
ensure you will be beneficial to the company and to the role which you applying
for CV is a formal introduction to a potential employer and is your marketing
tool .It should demonstrate not just your work history but your success and
achievements, including your contributions to companies in terms of gross
profit, your voluntary works, all the social services you have made so far.
 A letter of application typically provides detailed information on why are you are
qualified for the job you are applying for what are your abilities and capabilities
for the specification you are applying. Effective application letters explain the
reasons for your interest in the specific organization and identify your most
relevant skills or experiences. Who have recommended you for this company.
Application letter should let the employer know what position you are applying
for, why the employer should select you for an interview, and how you will
follow-up.

1.3. Importance of Job Applications:

 The resume and cover letter have created a vital factor in order to acquire a
good job employment or career opportunities to the different prestigious
companies or industries. A proper cover letter along with the well documented
CV makes your job application a powerful tool for you.

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  CV Covering Letters are an important component of any Job Application. CV
letters should add value by conveying motivations for applying for a role as well
as core experience, key skills and evidence of suitability mentioned in a
CV. Resume letters should be polite, well-written and clearly state your intent
for applying for the particular job without over-stating your CV content. It just
interprets it.

2. Detail Description

This section covers the complete details of job application letters, resume and CV.

Detail description has three sections covering according to:

 Cover letters

 Resume

 Curriculum Vitae

2.1. Understanding the problem:

To write an effective resume and letter of application, you must understand your
goals, your audience, and the field in which you are applying for work, your own
strengths, and the needs of your employers and the professional and technical skills
they want.

2.2 Understand your goals

Your goal is to be selected among all the applicants. To be convincing, you must
explain what you can do for the readers, showing how your strengths fill the reader’s
needs, demands and specifications.

2.3. Understand your audience

Your audience could be any of several people in an organization from human
resources manager to division manager, one person or committee. Whoever they are,
they have only limited amount of time to read your letter and resume and so will want
to see your qualifications stated in a professional and well organized manner.

2.4. Time constraint

Employers read letters and resumes quickly. They spend only 30 seconds to 3 minutes
on each application. Only the resume seeming attractive and fulfilling their demands
is paid attention.

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2.5. Skill set expectations
Managers want to know that how the applicant is eligible for fulfilling their settled
requirements. They look for evidence of special aptitudes, skills, contributions to jobs
and achievements at workplace. Applications that show evidence of that experience
probably leads towards approval.

2.6 Professional Expectations

Manager checks out for the 7 C, S in the applicant’s document and professional skills.
A Clear, concise, complete, courteous, considerate, correct and concrete document.

A. JOB APPLICATION LETTERS

Definition:
A letter of application, also known as a cover letter, is a document sent with your
resume to provide additional information on your skills and experience. Together with
the resume it enhances the impression on your reader.

It provides the insight of you to the reader to demonstrate your capabilities to him. It
typically provides detailed information on why are you are qualified for the job you are
applying for. Effective application letters explain the reasons for your interest in the
specific organization and identify your most relevant skills or experiences.

Your application letter should let the employer know what position you are applying
for, why the employer should select you for an interview, and how you will follow-up.

2.A.1. How to write a cover letters

No matter how good your resume is, you need to have a well-written cover letter to
stand alongside it. Your cover letter can explain why you are the ideal candidate for
the position. A concise cover letter is similar to a "sales pitch" in that it encourages
the employer to further review your resume and expresses your desire and interest in
working for the company.

When writing a cover letter, keep in mind that all of your detailed employment history
and educational accomplishments will be included in your resume. A cover letter
should be easy to read and to the point. Remember that a cover letter serves as your
first impression when applying for a job, therefore proper grammar is important.

When writing an application letter you should include:

Step 1: Prepare Before Writing Your Letter

Before writing a cover letter, follow these steps to prepare yourself and gather
information that you will need to complete the letter.

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  Always include a cover letter when you submit a resume, even if the job posting
did not
Explicitly request one.
 Research the company you're sending your cover letter to before writing your
letter. Knowing about current needs and future plans will help you write a letter
that shows what an asset you will be.
 Consult with sample cover letters.

Step 2: Choose a Cover Letter Style

Because of the many resources that are used for career postings, there may be
variations in the writing style used to compose a cover letter. Three basic types of
cover letters are explained here, and can be used when sending correspondence to a
potential employer.

Cover Letters in Response to a Job Posting:

 Reference the job posting, either on a separate line in your cover letter or in the
letter body.
 Include a mention of where you saw the job listing.
 Take a few minutes to research the company to make your cover letter more
specific and engaging.
 Try keeping a bulleted list of your accomplishments ready, so you can quickly fill
in the ones that relate to the listed position.

Step 3: Begin Your Cover Letter

 Make sure your name, address, phone number, and email address are in the
header of your letter.
 Rules for email are more relaxed, but you still want this information to be in
your message.
 Make sure you spell the name correctly, and use the proper title.
 Call the company to get this information, if necessary, unless the ad specifies no
calls.14
 Use a professional salutation:
o Dear Sara: - Too informal
o Dear Ms. Harris: - Good opening
o Use the addressee's full name if you cannot determine which title to use.

2.A.2. Do’s and Don’ts

 Be brief

 Use a you approach

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  Use high quality paper

 Make sure the print the print is dark enough and large enough

 There should no grammatical errors

 Don’t mention salary requirements in the cover letter.

 Don’t send the resume without a cover letter

 Don’t forget to sign between the closing and the typed version of your
name in the cover letter.

 Don’t expect everyone to answer.

2.A.3. Tips for Completing Job Applications

1) Complete all requested information

Nothing should be left blank. If you don't know the details, bring the application
back and submit it properly.

2) Write clearly and neatly

Use suitable ink page. Try not to transfer your message in a complex manner.
It should be precise and concise.

3) Check for spelling and grammatical errors:

There must be a proof reading before submitting.

4) List your most recent job first:

When completing employment information don’t forget to mention it.

5) List your most recent education first:

Include vocational schools and training programs as well as college and high
school.

6) References don't necessarily have to be professional:

If you have volunteered you can use members of the organizations that you
have helped or if you are a student use your teachers. In all cases, ask for
permission prior to using the person for a reference.

7) Don't forget to sign your application!

Signatures are very important

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2.A.4. A Job-Seeker's Guide to Successfully
Completing Job Applications

“New to job-hunting? This article is designed to provide you with the critical
information you need to successfully complete a job application. Should filling out an
application be a stressful event? No. If you have a resume, you should have just about
all the information you need. If you don't have a resume, now might be the time to
create one.

When are job applications used by employers? For many part-time, entry-level and
blue collar jobs, employers use applications to screen potential employees; they use
the information from the applications to determine who they are going to call for a job
interview. For other types of jobs, applications are simply the paperwork the Human
Resources department requires of all job applicants; employers often ask you to
complete an application after they have invited you for an interview.

Why do employers use job applications? Many employers use applications as a way of
standardizing the information they obtain from all job-seekers, including some things
that you would not normally put on your resume. Your goal is to complete the
application as completely and honestly as you can -- all the time remembering that
the application is a key marketing tool for you in the job-hunting process. Remember
that some employers will use your application as a basis for deciding whether to call
you for an interview.”

Here are some instruction and outs of completing job applications.

2.A.5. Instructions

 Arrive prepared with the information you need:

Remember to bring your resume, social security card, driver's license, etc. You
probably will also need addresses and phone numbers of previous employers, as well
as starting and ending salaries for each previous job

 Complete the application as neatly as possible.

Application is a reflection of you. Consider typing it if you have access to a typewriter.

If completing it by hand, be sure to use only a blue or black ink and consider using an
erasable pen or taking some "white-out" to fix minor mistakes. Don't fold, bend, or
otherwise dispose the application.

Always take a few minutes to review the entire application.

 Tailor your answers to the job you are seeking.

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Just as with your resume and cover letter, you want to focus your education and
experience to the job at hand. Give details of skills and accomplishments, and avoid
framing your experiences in terms of mere duties and responsibilities. Show why you
are more qualified than other applicants for the position. Inform about experience
from all sources, previous jobs, school, clubs and organizations, and volunteer work.

 Don't leave any blanks.

Instead of leaving any vacancy or space, use “not applicable” or N/A.

 Don't provide any negative information.

As with any job search correspondence, never inform about negative information. Your
goal with the application is to get an interview. Providing negative information just
gives the employer a reason not to interview you.

 Always answer questions truthfully.

The fastest way for an application to hit the trash can is to have a lie on it, but that
doesn't mean you need to give complete answers either. For example, many
applications ask your reason for leaving your last job. If you were fired or downsized,
you should try to be as positive as possible and leave longer explanations for the
interview; some experts recommend writing "job ended" as the reason you left your
last job.

 Do not put specific salary requirements.

It is way too early in the job-seeking process to allow yourself to be identified by a

specific salary request. You don't want to give employers too much information too
soon

 Provide references.

Employers want to see that there are people who will provide objective information
about you to them. Pick your references carefully -- and make sure you ask if they are
willing to be a reference for you before you list them. Get the references from past
employers, to teachers, to family friends. Most young job-seekers have a mix of
professional and character references, while more experienced job-seekers focus on
professional references who can speak of your skills so show care about them.

 Keep your application consistent with your resume.

Make sure all dates, names, titles, etc., on your application coincide with the
information on your resume.

 Proofread your application before submitting it.

Once you've completed the application, sit back and take a moment to thoroughly
proofread the document, checking for all errors especially typos and misspellings.

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2.A.6. How to Write Job Application Letters

There are following steps to be considered while writing Job application letter

 Place your address either as a heading at the top right side of the page, just as
if you were writing a formal letter. Skip two lines, and put the date, lined up with
the left margin. Finally, skip two to four lines, and type the address and name of
the company you are applying for. While writing the heading, remember you
want your cover letter to fit on one page. Think about this when you are spacing
the letter and choosing the size of your font. It is always best to go with a simple
font like Times New Roman.

 Make sure to mention the post you are applying for, and why and how you are
eligible for that post. For Example: "I read with great interest your open position
for human resources manager in Sunday's edition of The News-Gazette. My
fifteen years of experience as a human resources manager at XYZ company and
my strengths in communication and organization make me the perfect
candidate for this position."

 In body of job application letter highlight the former positions or education that
would most benefit the company. This is where you sell yourself in one to two
paragraphs. You do not need to write about every job you've ever had, just the
ones that most pertain to the job opening. Make sure to tell specific
responsibilities you had at each job, and mention any awards or honors you
received. If you have no job experience, then write about your education,
internship or college experience. Be honest in your letter, but sell yourself. This
is not the time to say, "I took six years to graduate from college, but now I'm
ready for my career." Instead, you could write, "During my college years, I
participated in many extracurricular activities that prepared me for my career."

 Close your letter with a strong paragraph that briefly summarizes your
strengths. In your last sentence, say thank you and sound confident. Example: "I
appreciate your time in reviewing my application and resume, and I look forward
to hearing from you soon."

 Type a closing, and skip four lines. Then type your full name. Once you print
your letter, you sign your name between the closing and your typed name, and
you have finished writing a job application letter.

2.A.7 Cover Letter Format

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Your Contact Information
Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Phone Number
Email Address

Date

Employer Contact Information (if you have it)

Name
Title
Company
Address
City, State, Zip Code

Salutation
Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name, (leave out if you don't have a contact)

Body of Cover Letter

The body of your cover letter lets the employer know what position you are applying
for, why the employer should select you for an interview, and how you will follow-up.

First Paragraph
The first paragraph of your letter should include information on why you are writing.
Mention the position you are applying for and where you found the job listing. Include
the name of a mutual contact, if you have one.

Middle Paragraph(s)
The next section of your cover letter should describe what you have to offer the
employer. Mention specifically how your qualifications match the job you are applying
for. Remember, you are interpreting your resume, not repeating it.

Final Paragraph
Conclude your cover letter by thanking the employer for considering you for the
position. Include information on how you will follow-up.

Complimentary Close

Respectfully yours,

Signature

Handwritten Signature (for a mailed letter)

Typed Signature

2.A.8. Sample Cover Letter

Modified Block Format

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Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Phone Number
Your Email

Date

Name
Title
Organization
Address
City, State, Zip Code

Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:

First Paragraph: Why You Are Writing. Remember to include the name of a mutual
contact, if you have one. Be clear and concise regarding your request.

Middle Paragraphs: What You Have to Offer. Convince the readers that they should
grant the interview or appointment you requested in the first paragraph. Make
connections between your abilities and their needs or your need for information and
their ability to provide it. Remember, you are interpreting your resume. Try to support
each statement you make with a piece of evidence. Use several shorter paragraphs
rather than one large block of text.

Final Paragraph: How You Will Follow Up. Remember, it is your responsibility to
follow-up; this relates to your job search. State that you will do so and provide the
professional courtesy of indicating when (one week's time is typical). You may want to
reduce the time between sending out your resume and follow up if you fax or e-mail it.

Sincerely,
Your Signature
Your Typed Name

B. Resume

DEFINITION
Resume is a self-promotional document that presents you in the best possible light,
for the purpose of getting invited to a job interview. It's not an official personnel
document. It's not a job application. It's not a "career obituary"! And it's not a
confessional.

What should the resume content be about?

It's not just about past jobs! It's about YOU, and how you performed and what
you accomplished in those past jobs especially those accomplishments that are

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 most relevant to the work you want to do next. A good resume predicts how you
might perform in that desired future job.

 Why your resume is important?

It's the first meeting between you and a prospective employer. First impressions
are lasting ones. Well, your resume is the first meeting between you and a
prospective employer more often now than ever. So, how do you want to be
remembered? Wrinkled and unorganized or Neat and structured. Long and
boring or Precise and interesting.
 Main purpose of resume writing
Your resume is a tool with one specific purpose: to win an interview. A resume is
an advertisement, nothing more, nothing less. A great resume doesn't just tell
them what you have done but makes the same assertion that all good ads do.
 What resume writing isn't?
It is a mistake to think of your resume as a history of your past, as a personal
statement or as some sort of self expression.
 Focus on the employer's needs and not yours
Employer is not much interested in your needs but in companies. Ask yourself,
what would make a perfect candidate for this job. What does the employer
really want and need? What special abilities would this person have? What
would set a truly exceptional candidate apart from a merely good one?
 Great resumes has two sections
In the first, you make assertions about your abilities, qualities and
achievements. You write powerful, but honest, advertising copy that makes the
reader immediately perk up and realize that you are someone special.

The second section, the evidence section, is where you back up your assertions
with evidence that you actually did what you said you did. This is where you list
and describe the jobs you have held, your education, etc.

 Objective of Resume Writing

Your resume should be pointed toward conveying why you are the perfect
candidate for one specific objective or job title. Good advertising is directed
toward a very specific objective
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2.B.1 Planning the Resume

Your resume is a one page (sometimes tow-page) document that summarizes your
skills, experiences, and qualifications for a position in your field. Plane it carefully,
selecting the most pertinent information and choosing a readable format.

2.B.2. Information to include in resume

The information to include in the resume is that which fills the employer’s needs. Most
employers expect these information appears on applicants’ resume.

 Personal information: name, address, phone number

 Educational information: degree, name of college, major, date of graduation

 Work history: title of jobs held, employing companies, dates of employment,

duties, career objective

 Achievements: grade point average, awards and honors, special aptitudes and
skills, achievements at work

2.B.3. Resume organization

Information should be arranged in chronological order, emphasizing job duties.

The chronological resume has the following sections:

Personal data

Career objectives

Summary (optional)

Education

Work experience

 Personal data:

The personal data consist of address, telephone number, place to contact for
credentials, email address etc

 Career objectives
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The type of position you are seeking or what you can bring to the company.

 Summary

The summary an optional section emphasizes essential points for your reader. In
effect, it is a miniresume. List key items of professional experience, credentials, one or
two accomplishment and one or two skills.

 Education

The education section includes pertinent information about your degree, List
your college or university ,the years you attended it, and your major, minor,
concentration, and grade point average. If you have attended more than one
school, present them in reverse chronological order. You can list honors and
awards, internship etc.

 WORK EXPERIENCE

The work experience section includes the positions you have held that are
relevant to your field of interest. List your jobs in reverse chronological
order. The most recent first. In some cases ,you might alter the
arrangements to reflect the importance of experience.

2.B.4. Each work experience should have four

items:

• Job tittle

• Job description

• Name of company

• Dates of employment

2.B.5 Avoid These 10 Resume Mistakes

“As a resume writer, I see hundreds of resumes, and the vast majority of them are
much weaker than they could be. I see the same mistakes over and over. This article
describes the 10 I see most often. All are easy to fix.

Don't make these resume mistakes:

1. Typos and Grammatical Errors

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Your resume needs to be grammatically perfect. If it isn't, employers will read
between the lines and draw not-so-flattering conclusions about you, like: "This person
can't write," or "This person obviously doesn't care."

2. Lack of Specifics

Employers need to understand what you've done and accomplished. For example:

A. Worked with employees in a restaurant setting.

B. Recruited, hired, trained and supervised more than 20 employees in a restaurant
with $2 million in annual sales.

Both of these phrases could describe the same person, but the details and specifics in
example B will more likely grab an employer's attention.

3. Attempting One Size Fits All

Whenever you try to develop a one-size-fits-all resume to send to all employers, you
almost always end up with something employers will toss in the recycle bin.
Employers want you to write a resume specifically for them. They expect you to
clearly show how and why you fit the position in a specific organization.

4. Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments

It's easy to slip into a mode where you simply start listing job duties on your resume.
For example:

• Attended group meetings and recorded minutes.

• Worked with children in a day-care setting.

• Updated departmental files.

• Used laptop computer to record weekly meeting minutes and compiled

them in a Microsoft Word-based file for future organizational reference.

• Developed three daily activities for preschool-age children and prepared

them for a 10-minute holiday program performance.

• Reorganized 10 years worth of unwieldy files, making them easily

accessible to department members.

5. Going on Too Long or Cutting Things Too Short

Despite what you may read or hear, there are no real rules governing resume length.
Why? Because human beings, who have different preferences and expectations where
resumes are concerned, will be reading it.

That doesn't mean you should start sending out five-page resumes, of course.
Generally speaking, you usually need to limit yourself to a maximum of two pages.
But don't feel you have to use two pages if one will do. Conversely, don't cut the meat
out of your resume simply to make it conform to an arbitrary one-page standard.

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6. A Bad Objective

Employers do read your resume's objective statement, but too often they plow
through vague pufferies like, "Seeking a challenging position that offers professional
growth." Give employers something specific and, more importantly, something that
focuses on their needs as well as your own. Example: "A challenging entry-level
marketing position that allows me to contribute my skills and experience in fund-
raising for nonprofits."

7. No Action Verbs

Avoid using phrases like "responsible for." Instead, use action verbs: "Resolved user
questions as part of an IT help desk serving 4,000 students and staff."

8. Leaving Off Important Information

You may be tempted, for example, to eliminate mention of the jobs you've taken to
earn extra money for school. Typically, however, the soft skills you've gained from
these experiences (e.g., work ethic, time management) are more important to
employers than you might think.

9. Visually Too Busy

If your resume is wall-to-wall text featuring five different fonts, it will most likely give
the employer a headache. So show your resume to several other people before
sending it out. Do they find it visually attractive? If what you have is hard on the eyes,
revise.

10. Incorrect Contact Information

I once worked with a student whose resume seemed incredibly strong, but he wasn't
getting any bites from employers. So one day, I jokingly asked him if the phone
number he'd listed on his resume was correct. It wasn't. Once he changed it, he
started getting the calls he'd been expecting. Moral of the story: Double-check even
the most minute, taken-for-granted details -- sooner rather than later.

2.B.6. Resume lacks focus.

A sharp focus is an extremely important resume element. Given that employers

screen resumes for between 2.5 and 20 seconds, a resume should show the employer
at a glance what you want to do and what you're good at. In a recent study by Career
Masters Institute, employers wanted resumes to show a clear match between the
applicant and a particular job's requirements. A "general" resume that is not focused
on a specific job's requirements was seen as not competitive. In an even more recent
study by CareerBuilder.com, 71 percent of hiring managers preferred a resume
customized for the open position.

One way to sharpen your focus is through an objective statement. Your objective
statement can be very simple and straightforward; it can be simply the title of the

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position you're applying for, which can be adjusted for every job you apply for. Or you
can embellish your Objective statement a bit with language telling how you'll benefit
the employer. Something like:

Objective:

To contribute strong skills and experience to your organization in a capacity.

In this day of being able to manage our own computer files, you could have several
versions of your resume that are essentially the same except for the objective. A
specific objective is always better than a vague or general one.

To sharpen your focus, you can also add a section called something like "Summary of
Qualifications," "Profile," or the like. Such a section can contribute to powerful resume
opener that draws the reader in; it can be part of the top third of your resume that
showcases your best selling points, catches the prospective employer's attention, and
immediately demonstrates your value as a candidate. "Think of this section as an
executive summary of your resume," writes my partner, Dr. Randall Hansen. "Identify
key accomplishments that will grab the attention of an employer."

You can use your Profile/Summary section to position yourself for each job you target
by tweaking the wording to fit each type of position.

Resume is duty-driven instead of accomplishments-driven.

Resumes should consist primarily of high-impact accomplishments statements that

sell the job-seeker's qualifications as the best candidate.

Never use expressions such as "Duties included," "Responsibilities included," or

"Responsible for." That's job-description language, not accomplishments-oriented
resume language that sells. After all, if you were an employer and wanted to run a
successful organization, would you be looking for candidates who can perform only
their basic job functions, or would you want employees with a proven track record of
accomplishments? In these days in which most resumes are placed into keyword-
searchable databases, you won't find employers searching resumes for words like
"responsibilities," "duties," or "responsible for."

Instead, focus on accomplishments that set you apart from other job candidates. In
each job, what special things did you do to set yourself apart? How did you do the job
better than anyone else? What did you do to make it your own? What special things
did you do to impress your boss so that you might be promoted? What were the
problems or challenges that you or the organization faced? What did you do to
overcome the problems? What were the results of your efforts? How did the company
benefit from your performance? How did you leave your employers better off than
before you worked for them? How have you helped your employers to:

• make money
• save money
• save time
• make work easier
19 | P a g e
 • solve a specific problem
• be more competitive
• build relationships
• expand the business
• attract new customers
• retain existing customers

Accomplishments are the points that increase reader's interest, stimulate a request
for a job interview, and really help sell you to an employer -- much more so than
everyday job duties. In the above-cited study by Career Masters Institute, content
elements that propel employers to immediately discard resumes include a focus on
duties instead of accomplishments, while documented achievements were highly
ranked among content elements that employers look for.

Some job-seekers list accomplishments in a separate section or isolate

accomplishments from duties/responsibilities when describing their job functions. I
don't support this practice because everything on your resume should be
accomplishments-driven. If you label only certain items as accomplishments, the
reader's assumption is that the other things you did were not accomplishments.

Be sure also that the accomplishments you list support your career goals and that
you tailor them to the job you're targeting with this resume.

Resume items are listed in an order that doesn't consider the reader's
interest.

"The Resume Ingredients Rule," set forth by Donald Asher, author of

numerous resume books, says that information on a resume should be listed in order
of importance to the reader. Therefore, in listing your jobs, what's generally most
important is your title/position. So list in this preferred order: Title/position, name of
employer, city/state of employer, dates of employment. I can't tell you how many
resumes I've seen that list dates first. Dates can be important to some employers, but
they're generally not as important as what your position was and whom you worked
for.

Education follows the same principle; thus, the preferred order for listing your
education is: Name of degree (spelled out: Bachelor of _____) in name of major, name
of university, city/state of university, graduation year, followed by peripheral
information, such as minor and GPA. If you haven't graduated yet, list your
information the same way. Since the graduation date you've listed is in the future, the
employer will know you don't have the degree yet.

By the way, the Resume Ingredients Rule is also the reason that experience and
education are listed in reverse chronological order on your resume; it's assumed that
your most recent education and experience are most important and relevant to the
reader.

Also consider whether your education or your experience is your best selling point and
which should therefore be listed first. Generally, brand-new graduates list education
first, while job-seekers with a few years of experience list experience first. When job-
seekers add value to their education by attaining an MBA or other graduate degree,
20 | P a g e
they often switch education back to the more prominent position because it now
becomes the hot selling point. In fields such as science and higher education, in which
education remains a more important selling point than experience, education tends to
be listed first consistently. In many countries outside the U.S., education is also
considered more important than experience.

Resume exposes the job-seeker to age discrimination by going too far back
into the job-seekers job history.

The rule of thumb for someone at the senior level is to list about 15 years worth of
jobs. Age discrimination, unfortunately, is a reality, and even more likely, employers
may think you're too expensive if you list too much experience on your resume.
Similarly, don't provide the date of your college graduation if it was more than about
10 years ago. Read more in our articles, Resume, Cover Letter, and Interview
Strategies for Older Workers and Positive Attitude is Key When Fighting Prejudice
against Older Workers.

Resume buries important skills, especially computer skills, at the bottom.

There are few jobs today for which computer skills are not important. Yet
many job-seekers, even those in technology fields, tend to tack a "Computer Skills"
section to the end of their resumes. If computer skills are relevant to your field, list
them in your Summary or Profile section. That way, they'll catch the reader's eye in
the first third of your resume. If you are in the technology field, list your technical
skills in a separate section called something like "Systems Proficiencies," but be sure
it's on the first page of your resume. You may want to set your skills up in a reader-
friendly table, as in these samples: IT Resume and New Grad IT Resume.

Similarly if language and international-business skills are important in the type of job
you seek, list them in your Summary or Profile section, not at the end of your resume.

Resume is not bulleted.

Use a bulleted style to make your resume more reader-friendly. In the above-cited
study by Career Masters Institute, use of bullets was the 2nd-highest ranked
preference by employers, and density of type (paragraphs rather than bullet points)
was ranked highly as a factor that would inspire employers to discard a resume.

Use bullets consistently. Some job-seekers bullet most of their resume but don't bullet
the Profile/Summary section, for example. Or they will list the overall scope and
responsibilities for each job in an unbulleted section before beginning a bulleted
section describing accomplishments. Given that the reader can't easily discern a
rationale for why some material is bulleted and other material isn't, it's best to bullet
consistently throughout the resume.

Resume uses a cookie-cutter design based on an overused resume template.

Most resumes created from a Microsoft Word template are instantly recognizable to
employers as such. There's nothing wrong with that except that employers have seen
a million of them, so they don't stand out. The employer immediately senses a certain

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lack of imagination in the job-seeker. These templates are also somewhat inflexible
and contain problematic formatting.

Resume lacks keywords.

Job-hunting today increasingly revolves around the mysterious world of keywords.

Employers' reliance on keywords to find the job candidates they want to interview has
come about in recent years because of technology. Inundated by resumes from job-
seekers, employers have increasingly relied on digitizing job-seeker resumes, placing
those resumes in keyword-searchable databases, and using software to search those
databases for specific keywords that relate to job vacancies. Most Fortune 1000
companies, in fact, and many smaller companies now use these technologies. In
addition, many employers search the databases of third-party job-posting and
resume-posting boards on the Internet. Pat Kendall, president of the National Resume
Writers' Association, notes that more than 80 percent of resumes are searched for job-
specific keywords.

The bottom line is that if you apply for a job with a company that searches databases
for keywords, and your resume doesn't have the keywords the company seeks for the
person who fills that job, you are pretty much dead in the water. To read more about
keywords and how to identify the best ones for your field, see our article, tapping the
Power of Keywords to Enhance Your Resume's Effectiveness.

References are listed directly on your resume.

Never list specific references directly on your resume. List them on a separate sheet,
and even then, submit them only when specifically requested by an employer.

Even the phrase, "References: Available upon request," is highly optional because it is
a given that you will provide references upon request. If you couldn't, you would have
no business looking for a job. The line can serve the purpose of signaling: "This is the
end of my resume," but if you are trying to conserve space, leave it off.

Resume's appearance becomes skewed when sent as an e-mail attachment

and/or resume is not available in other electronic formats.

Have you ever noticed that when you send a resume (or any document) as an
attachment from your computer to someone else's computer, it sometimes doesn't
look the same on the other person's computer as it did on yours? Maybe it has more
pages on the other computer, or maybe Page 2 starts at the bottom of Page 1, or
maybe the fonts are different.

If you are regularly sending your resume as an e-mail attachment, you may want to
experiment with sending it to friends' computers to ensure that the formatting
appears consistently from computer to computer.

Beyond a resume that can be sent as an e-mail attachment, it's crucial these days to
have at least one type of electronic version of your resume for sending via e-mail and
posting to Internet job boards. It's an absolute must these days because, as noted
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earlier, 80 percent of resumes today are placed directly into keyword-searchable
databases. Read more in our article, The Top 10 Things You Need to Know about E-
Resumes and Posting Your Resume Online. A text version of your resume is the most
common and preferred format for electronic resumes.”

2.B.8. Fundamentals of a Good Chronological

Resume

“You probably have about 30 seconds to convince a potential employer that you
deserve an interview. A resume summarizes your accomplishments, your education,
and your work experience, and should reflect your strengths.

Here are the key components of a standard chronological resume:

Identification
It is essential that a potential employer can reach you.

This section should include your name, address, phone number, and e-mail
address. If a college student, this section might also include a school address
and a permanent home address.

Job Objective
A job objective is optional and should only be included for new college grads and
those changing careers. Otherwise, use your cover letter to show your career
interests and job objective.

If you do use an objective, make sure your objective explains the kind of work
you want to do, and keep it between two to four typed lines.

Key Accomplishments
Some resume experts are suggesting adding a section that highlights your key
accomplishments and achievements. Think of this section as an executive
summary of your resume; identify key accomplishments that will grab the
attention of an employer.

This section should summarize (using nouns as keywords and descriptors) your
major accomplishments and qualifications

This section can also be labeled "Professional Profile," "Summary of

Accomplishments," "Key Skills," "Summary of Qualifications," "Qualifications
Summary," or "Qualifications."

Education
For new college grads, this entry should be your next. For others with full-time
work experience, this section should follow your experience section.

This section should include school(s) attended (including years of attendance),

majors/minors, degrees, and honors and awards received.

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 For new grads only: There appears to be a growing trend of employers wanting
your GPA in this section. If you decide to do so, make sure to use the GPA that
puts you in the best light -- either overall GPA, school or college GPA, or major
GPA.

Professional Experience
This section can also be labeled "Experience, "Work History," or "Employment."
We like using experience -- especially for new college grads, because
experience is broader than work history, allowing you to include major school
projects that showcase your skills and abilities.

This section should include company name, your job title, dates of employment,
and major accomplishments. List experiences in reverse chronological order,
starting with your most current experience.

List your accomplishments in bullet format (rather than paragraph format).

Avoid discussing job duties or responsibilities.

If you don't have a lot of career-related job experience, consider using

transferable skills to better highlight your work experience.

Finally, make sure to make use of action verbs when describing your
accomplishments.

Affiliations/Interests
This section is optional; include only if you have room on your resume for it.
Items from this section are often used as an ice-breaker by interviewers looking
to start an interview on an informal basis.

This section should only include professional memberships and non-

controversial activities/interests.

References
Many experts say this section is passé, but if you have room, include it. If
nothing else, this section signals the end of your resume.

This section should only include a statement saying reference.

2.B.9. Resume Format

Your Contact Information

First Last Name
Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone (Cell/Home)
Email Address

Objective (optional)
What do you want to do? If you include this section it should be a sentence or two
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about your employment goals. A customized objective that describes why you are the
perfect candidate for the job can help your resume stand out from the competition.

Career Highlights / Qualifications (optional)

A customized section of your resume that lists key achievements, skills, traits, and
experience relevant to the position for which you are applying can serve dual
purposes. It highlights your relevant experience and lets the prospective employer
know that you have taken the time to create a resume that shows how you are
qualified for the job.

Experience
This section of your resume includes your work history. List the companies you worked
for, dates of employment, the positions you held and a bulleted list of responsibilities
and achievements.

Company #1
City, State
Dates Worked

Job Title
Responsibilities / Achievements
Responsibilities / Achievements

Company #2
City, State
Dates Worked

Job Title
Responsibilities / Achievements
Responsibilities / Achievements

Education
In the education section of your resume, list the colleges you attended, the degrees
you attained, and any special awards and honors you earned.

College, Degree
Awards, Honors

Skills
Include skills related to the position / career field that you are applying for i.e.
computer skills, language skills.

References available upon request

There is no need to include references on your resume. Rather, have a separate list of
references to give to employers upon request.

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Customize Your Resume
In all cases, be sure to personalize and customize your resume, so, it reflects your
skills and abilities and connects them with the jobs you are applying for.

C. CIRRICULUM VITAE

Definition
The term curriculum vitae, or CV, literally means ‘course of life’. In North America, the
term résumé is often used to refer to a brief document (about a page long) relating an
applicant’s skills to a particular role, while a CV would list the applicant’s complete
work history. In the UK we only use the term CV, and it means the same as a résumé
in the US. For information about CVs used in other countries see country specific
information.

Use only relevant and current achievement and experiences. It should be a

methodical presentation of how your profile matches the employer’s needs, without
being too wordy or detailed.

Unlike an application form, a CV allows the applicant to decide which information is

most relevant to the role or company. It is an opportunity to sell your skills, and
highlight your strengths and achievements and should aim to grab the interest of the
recruiter.

2.4 PURPOSE:

Your CV is your primary marketing tool. CV purpose is not to get you a job but to get
you an interview. Neither an autobiography nor curriculum vitae, a CV presents your
relevant skills and accomplishments in an accurate and compelling way to interest
potential employers.

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2.C.1. CVs should usually include the
following sections:

Personal details
Keep this section clear and brief - no more than a quarter of a page, ideally positioned
at the top of the main page. Follow these tips:

 Use your name as the title of the document - it will help recruiters refer back to
your CV more easily.
 Never use ‘CV’ or ‘Curriculum Vitae’ as a heading - recruiters know it is a CV and
cluttering the title makes it harder to remember your name.
 It is not necessary to include your middle names.
 Ensure you are easily contactable at the address you provide. If necessary
include term-time and home addresses.
 Your telephone numbers should be current, and if you have a personalized reply
message for your voicemail, ensure that it is professional.
 You may wish to create a specific ‘work’ email address if your usual address is
informal or comical - iamamuppet@hotmail.com will not do! Try to include your
name in your email address for clarity.
 It is not usually necessary to include information relating to your age, sex,
nationality, marital status or health. Applications for some roles may still
legitimately require this information, but it is common practice for HR
departments to remove candidates’ personal information from CVs before
presenting them for the consideration of departmental managers.

It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure recruits are legally permitted to work in

the UK when hiring them, and so you do not need to state this on your CV. However,
international students may still feel it is an advantage to declare their work permit
status on their CV.

Personal profile/career objective

It is not necessary to include a personal profile in your CV. If space is an issue, you
could drop it altogether and include the information in your covering letter. A well-
written profile is a charm but, in fact, most candidates write dumb profile and bore the
recruiter with their lack of imagination.

A profile should have three or four lines maximum.

on’t use generic skills statements such as ‘hard worker’, ‘good communicator’,
‘motivated’, ‘team player’, ‘people person’, ‘ability to meet deadlines’, and ‘strong
analytical skills’. People tend to use these descriptions as standard. Keep in mind that
no candidate will say they are lazy, unmotivated and hate working with others. You
need to qualify your statements to give them more gravity.

Education
Detail your educational status with most recent educational achievements first. Also
include dates, the name of the institution, and town. Full addresses are not required.
27 | P a g e
Market your later education and professional training more fully. Mark the equivalent
of non-UK qualifications in parenthesis. It is not worth highlighting low grades but you
must be specific about exactly what you have achieved.

Use language that will be familiar to the employer. They may not have kept up with
recent changes or variations in qualifications.

You might include a list of relevant modules, information about projects and
dissertations, received grades or predicted results, and/or skills developed.

Experience
All work experience counts, whether paid, voluntary or shadowing.

International students are often reluctant to list experience gained outside the
UK, but this is just as relevant to an employer as experience in Britain.

Focus on your responsibilities and achievements in the role, and how skills were
used or developed.

Try to use job titles and terminology relevant to the post you are applying for.
You may wish to create a separate section for related experience with headers like
‘relevant experience’, or ‘technical experience’. Some experiences can be grouped
together.

For example:

Positions of responsibility, achievement, interests

Here you can demonstrate that you are motivated to pursue other activities, and take
the initiative to develop your skills. Mentioning interests and hobbies serves two
purposes:

• to show you are a well-rounded person;

• as potential subject matter at interview. Hopefully, the interviewer will relate to
your interest, or engage you in discussion on the topic.

If you decide to list your interests avoid generalisations such as ‘reading’,

‘socialising’, ‘going to the cinema’, and ‘listening to music’. These are not unique to
you and do not reveal much about your character, but actually highlight a lack of
specific outside interests. The risk with terms such as ‘socialising’ or ‘clubbing’ is the
image they invoke of late nights and hangovers - not an ideal image for a potential
employee.

Referees
Most companies rely on references and they even don’t call you until and unless they
confirm your references.

Keep in mind the following instructions:

• Always ask your referees for permission before you provide their names and
check that you have accurate contact details.
28 | P a g e
 • You will need their full name and title, full postal address, email address and
telephone number.
• Referees often prefer not to be named in your CV as this may result in their
details being sent to several employers or agencies, or even posted on jobsites.
• After you send in an application, it is a matter of courtesy to contact your
referees to let them know they may soon be contacted by a potential employer.
• It is useful to keep your referees informed of your career aspirations and
achievements to date.
• You should keep several potential referees in mind in case some are unavailable
at the crucial time, or slow to respond.

Layout
• Show how your skills match the requirements for a particular post

You can easily get a grasp on most chances of being recruited by reading
company literature or visiting their website. Your CV layout itself demonstrates
motivation and, if it is clearly designed, will show how you meet the skills
specified in the job advert. The there will be more chances to be recruited.

2.C.2 Ensure that the CV is accessible to the

reader

The employer will probably prefer to scan rather than read the CV, so it is essential
that the layout makes it easy to navigate. This means: clarity; defined spacing; short,
sensible blocks of information. Headings are very useful for scanning and you must be
consistent in style throughout. Make sure you are giving the reader strong visual
signals about how the CV should be read. Ideally the font size of regular text is 11 or
12. You should be able to hold your CV at arm’s length and still read it comfortably.

• Imagine the reluctant reader

Use headings likely to engage the employer such as ‘Relevant Skills &
Experience’.

2.C.3. Presentation:

As a rule, your CV should be one or two pages maximum. It will need to be

longer if you are applying for an academic research position, or if you are already well
established and are applying for an executive role. The average CV does not benefit
from being longer as the employer is unlikely to read it all and may use its length as
an excuse to remove it from a large pile of incoming CVs.

Your CV should be on good quality paper and should always be checked for correct
spelling and grammar.

In the main, graphics and gimmicks are to be avoided. Using tables and charts can
make a CV look cluttered and detract from the information given. Use a consistent

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style and format and don’t overdo underlining and capitals. Try a different or larger
font for headings and use bold for emphasis.

Ask a careers adviser or third party to read through the final version.

2.C.4 Preparing a Curriculum Vitae:

“Proven Success Strategies

Vitas and resumes both have similar purposes -– as marketing documents that
provide key information about your skills, experiences, education, and personal
qualities that show you as the ideal candidate. Where a resume and curriculum vitae
differ is their use, format, and length. This article will help with your writing and
preparing your vita.

Curriculum vitae -– often called a CV or vita -- tends to be used more for

scientific and teaching positions than a resume. Thus, vitas tend to provide great
detail about academic and research experiences. Where resumes tend toward brevity,
vitas lean toward completeness.

While vitas do not have the one-page rule of resumes, you need to walk the line
between providing a good quality of depth to showcase your qualifications and attract
potential employer interest and providing too much information thus appearing
verbose and turning off potential employer interest.

Ready to Begin Preparing Your CV?

Typical vita categories or headings may include some or all of the following:

 Personal/Contact Information

--name
--address
--phone number(s)
--email

 Academic Background

--postgraduate work
--graduate work/degree(s), major/minors, thesis/dissertation titles, honors
--undergraduate degree(s), majors/minors, honors

 Professional Licenses/Certifications

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  Academic/Teaching Experience

--courses taught, courses introduced

--innovation in teaching
--teaching evaluations

 Technical and Specialized Skills

 Related/Other Experience

--other work experience

 Professional/Academic Honors and Awards

 Professional Development

--conferences/workshops attended, other activities

 Research/Scholarly Activities

--Journal articles
--conference proceedings
--books
--chapters in books
--magazine articles
--papers presented/workshops
--evince articles
--work currently under submission
--work in progress

 Grants
 Service

--academic
--professional
--community

 Academic/Research Interests
 Affiliations/Memberships
 Foreign Language Abilities/Skills
 Consulting
 Volunteer Work
 References

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2.C.5. Curriculum Vitae Format

Your Contact Information

Name
Address
Telephone
Cell Phone
Email

Personal Information
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Citizenship
Visa Status
Gender

Optional Personal Information

Marital Status
Spouse's Name
Children

Employment History
List in chronological order, include position details and dates
Work History
Academic Positions
Research and Training

Education
Include dates, majors, and details of degrees, training and certification
High School
University
Graduate School
Post-Doctoral Training

Professional Qualifications
Certifications and Accreditations
Computer Skills

Awards & Publications

Mention all your achievements and scholarships you have ever got.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

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In the olden days, it was not important to be very presentable in every aspect of life
but nowadays as the world has progressed, as our challenges have increased,
competition has also increased. You have to prove that you are the most competent
one out there. So it is necessary to present yourself in a manner that speaks well on
your behalf. In this matter, the resumes, job applications and CVs are extremely
important. When you are applying for a job, your employer is going to look for much
more than just your academic career. Your personality matters a lot. But before
interview, there comes the phase of submitting job applications and CVs. They matter
as much as your personality does because the employer has to select candidates from
interview from those applications. Hence, you have to write them carefully, in a formal
manner. Prove to the employer through your presenting skills that you are the most
competent for the specific job because of your skills and interest. If you present
yourself perfectly, others are going to believe you more and more. If you have any
downs in your career, try not to highlight them by emphasizing up parts of your career
and the important organizations you may have worked with.

CONCLUSION

The way you write your job applications and CVs is a way to present yourself to the
employer. The better you present yourself, the more confident the employer will be in
selecting you as the right one for the job. Hence, your success or failure in getting a
job depends a lot on the way you present your applications and CVs, and yourself.

REFERENCES

1. http://jobsearch.about.com/od/CVsamples/a/CVformat.htm

2. http://www.quintcareers.com/curriculum_vitae.html

3. http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Applications__CVs_and_intervie
ws/CVs_and_covering_letters/CV_content/p!eigadcl

4. Article by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

5. http://www.quintcareers.com/resume_mistakes.html

6. Articles by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.

7. http://www.ehow.com/how_2306339_write-job-application-letters.html

8. http://www.quintcareers.com/job_applications.html

9. Article by Randall S. Hansen Ph.D.

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 10.http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/jobapplications/a/jobapplication.htm

11.http://www.quintcareers.com/job_applications.html

12.[Anne Eisenberg, 1993, pg (212-216)]

13.http://jobsearch.about.com/od/jobsearchglossary/g/letterofapplication.htm

14.[Daniel G.Riordan, ninth edition,pg –(514-515)]

15.http://www.winningCV.co.uk/CV-covering-letters.html

16.http://www.CV-resume.org/blog/index.php/CV-resume/the-importance-of-job-
application-papers/

17.http://www.bestsampleresume.com/resume-writing.html

18.http://www.careerramblings.com/2007/01/17/top-10-resume-blunders/

19.http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-writing-tips/avoid-the-
top-10-resume-mistakes/article.aspx

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