Free Sample Resume Objective

Preparing Your Resume and Cover Letter: What They Forgot to Teach You in College

Congratulations! You have a college diploma in your hand that says you're ready to go out into the working world. You may have maintained a stellar GPA. You may have participated in groundbreaking scientific research. You may have written, produced, and performed an entire concerto. Whatever your program of study, you may feel like your college education has paved the way into the work force. That is, until you realize something: you don't know how to prepare a resume.

It's astounding how comprehensive your college education seemed to be, and yet it's likely you were never taught the basics of resume-writing. Presenting yourself to a potential employer by writing an excellent resume may be critical to your success. It may even be more important than your grades, extra-curricular activities, and your other achievements. Make sure that you include these crucial elements:

* Your personal info. Include your name, address, telephone number, cell phone number, pager number, and email. Most potential employers will try to contact you by your home phone. But just in case, it's good to leave a few different contact options. Never include your social security number, as some people mistakenly do on resumes or job applications. This information could be used to steal your identity and isn't necessary during the application process.

* Your educational history. You need not go all the way back to elementary school. Start with your most recent educational info: college. Details should include where you attended (every institution, if you attended more than one), its location, your graduation year, and your major/program. Next, list the high school that you graduated from. It is usually not necessary to list every high school, if you happened to attend more than one. Simply include the name of the one where you graduated and the year.

* Your employment history. How many of your past work places you include will depend upon how many there are. If you've had less than five different jobs in your life so far, list them all, and the duration that you worked at them. If you've tried more than your average share of jobs, you may want to list only the most recent ones. There is no prohibition against listing them all. However, if you did a lot of job hopping and some of your positions lasted mere months, including this information should be discretionary.

* Any volunteer work that you've done. This is important because it shows that you have other experience besides your last fast food job. Volunteer experience may be the key that sets you apart from other potential job candidates.

This is the basic information about yourself that every potential employer you contact will see. In addition to handing out your resume, you should include a cover letter addressed directly to the company you are making application to. The cover letter is extremely important, because it gives you a chance to share more than just the basics about yourself. Your resume contains general information; the cover letter contains information specific to that company. This is where you explain why you want to work for that particular company. It's your chance to persuade a potential employer that you are worth granting a face-to-face interview. There's a good chance that whoever is looking at your resume is also reviewing dozens of others. A persuasive cover letter may be the difference between causing an employer to examine your resume more closely or tossing it in the 'out' file. Address it directly to the person who will be reviewing candidates. If you don't know it, make an effort to find out.

Remember that being persuasive does not mean being long-winded. Busy executives won't have time to read a five page cover letter. Make it at least a page, but no more than two pages. Coupled with a well-written and concise resume, your cover letter will grab an employer's attention and make him or her want to take a second look at you.

Michael Fleischner is the Managing Director of Resumeedge.com which provides Resume Writing, Sample Resumes, and Cover Letter Services.

Learn to improve search engine rankings, click here...

MORE ARTICLES:

7 Secrets of a Highly-Effective Resume Cover Letter
Just like the late, great Rodney Dangerfield, the "humble" cover letter gets no respect.Job-seekers spend so much time and energy on their resumes they've got nothing left to offer their poor, neglected cover letters.

How To Choose The Right Resume Format
After a thirty (30) second glance lots of resumes get thrown into the wastebasket. One of the reasons this happens is because the resume writer has failed to use the appropriate resume format.

Resume Writing - Things to Consider
You are looking for a job and you are out to land the job of a lifetime. It can happen! Before you consider want ads, job websites, or making inquiries of companies you are interested in, you will need a resume.

Resume Writing Tips
Resume Writing doesn't have to be a solo gigResume writing can be the bottleneck to advancements in your career. If you find yourself getting writer's block consider getting help.

The 10-Step Resume Critique
Your resume will generally receive a 15- to 30-second scan upon first review by an employer. With that in mind, it is critical that your resume -- your "paper handshake" -- makes a positive first impression and compels the reader to put your resume in the "yes" pile and possibly call you in for an interview.

7 Steps To A Job-Winning Resume
A new resume can jump-start your career. Your network contacts may ask for a resume and some industries absolutely, positively demand a resume as the price of admission.

Effective Resume and Cover Letter Writing - Part One
To begin, make a decision to discard any former knowledge learned about the "rules" of resume and cover letter writing. People commonly become stuck in "bad" writing habits from a time gone by.

Common Resume Myths & Misconceptions
For the person crafting their first résumé the task can seem a little bit daunting, even a bit frightening. Human Resources [HR] specialists, résumé writing professionals, school advisors, and even friends and family members all have their say.

Resume? Or Resume NOT? With Screening Software Becoming More Prevalent, Your Cover Letter Is Key To Getting Job Interviews
Don?t forget to appeal to the human reader, suggests WallStJobs.com as "robo-resume-readers" make the first cuts.

Start A Resume Writing Service
If you have Microsoft word or any form of a word processing software, you have the potential to earn money by starting a resume writing service from the comfort of your own home. There are a few important keys to success that are rather standard for all home businesses when using your home computer.

Tips for Making Resume Cover Letters
Resume cover letters are extremely important, though many jobseekers don't fully realize it. A well-written cover letter can mean all the difference in the world, or at least become the deciding factor in whether your resume gets read or cast into the circular file.

Write Resume Keywords That Gets Your Application Read
As children we often used to read stories where magical words can open caves filled with treasures or magicians using words like abracadabra..

Resume Posting: Tips for Jobseekers
Recruiting firms, like most businesses today, must embrace technology in order to prosper. Part of modern recruiting is understanding the value and benefit of internet job boards.

Resume Writing - Watch your step buddy
As a graduate student, the least thing you want to do is spend so much time researching on how to write a Resume or CV. And even if you want to make a break, sooner or later you will have to make the first step in order to apply for a job; you will need your Resume or CV ready in minutes. These are four essential stages for you to find out how to write a resume that stands out above the rest!