Writing a Career Change Resume Is Easy, Just Follow These Helpful Tips! (Part One)

General Guidelines:
You know you need a resume, but you may not know how to get started. A clear set of resume writing tips will help you create a professional, high-impact resume with ease.
Let's get started.
Tip One: Remember What a Resume is Supposed to DO You will use it in several different ways, and with different contacts and you may tailor it as you move forward in your search.Resumes have three purposes:

• A focus document for you
• A marketing tool, and
• A response to a specific job opening.

An employer wants to know...and quickly...what skills you bring to the table and how you have used them. In other words, are you qualified to do what the employer needs done or not?
Tip Two: Less is More.
Your resume is a synopsis of your career, not your autobiography! It doesn't have to be the ultimate document, just enticing enough to be a conversation starter. It's a tool. It alone will not get you a job! But it should open doors and stimulate enough interest to meet you in person. Think about it as an ad for you. If the ad prompts a prospective buyer to check out more about the product (you), it's done its job.
Tip Three: Keep it Real
This may be most important resume writing tip of all. Make sure you are very familiar with what you include in the resume. In a personal conversation or interview, your resume will serve as a roadmap, providing a context for the conversation. You should be able to describe details and finer points about the highlights in a colorful, animated way. When you are asked questions about your resume, be enthusiastic and informative when answering.
Tip Four: Be Flexible
Here's the real truth about resumes. There-is no single formula for representing yourself in a resume. Basically, your resume is a document that showcases you and your career achievements. It should also capture and reflect some hints about your personality.
Tip Five: Grab Attention
Your resume has to work fast! Create quick and lasting impressions. You can do this through the vocabulary you use, the length or brevity of the document, design, layout, how information is organized and presented. Whatever you do, think about ways to set yourself apart without reflecting poorly on your qualifications for the job or you personally.
Be original. Review a number of samples and approaches to get a feel for what others have done. Always ask yourself, if you were a hiring manager, would this resume say something to you?
Tip Six: Don't Forget the Essentials.No matter what format you choose certain elements are required.
Optional Sections of a Resume.
1. Contact Information
* Name
* Mailing address
* Phone (work, residence, wireless, fax)
* E-mail address (if you don't have one, get one)
2. Qualifications Summary. This will tell a potential employer what you are functionally (IT professional, communications executive, operations manager, etc.) and what skills you possess that qualify you for the position. It is one of the most important parts of the resume.
3. Work History or Professional Experience - On a chronological resume, this will contain the name of the companies or organizations you worked for, the dates you worked there (years only) and the titles you held. It will also list ACCOMPLISHMENTS (how you used your skills) under each job (See examples in the Appendix). The accomplishments are the backbone of your career. They prove that you can do a job in the future because you have done similar tasks in the past.
4. Education and Training - This section follows the body, and concludes the resume. It provides information about your formal education and/or professional training.
* List your highest level of education first, and work backward.
* If you have specialized or professional training that relates directly to your job objective, list it.
* If you've gone to graduate school, include it.
* If you have a college degree, do not list your high school credentials.
5. Optional Sections of a Resume
* Certificates and Special Training - include them if they enhance your stature or positioning the job marketplace.
* Professional Affiliations - include current, not past memberships. Be very selective about the associations you list-avoid controversial groups.
* Awards and Recognition - don't go overboard. It's nice to be singled out but you don't want to appear super-human.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6313912

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Build Your Career Skills While Unemployed!

Job hunting is hard work. The days have become weeks and the weeks have moved into months. Your job hunting plan has been revised, improved, and you still haven't received the right job offer. In continuing your job search maybe it's time to think about adding to your skills and experience.

Nothing stops a job interview faster than not having a logical well though out answer to the interviewer's question, "I see you have a considerable gap in employment what have you been doing to keep you skills sharp?"

Adding to your skills accomplishes a number of positive things. First, you'll have a great answer to the question. Second, increased skills mean a boost to your confidence. And finally they will increase your opportunities to network and as a bonus they can be used to enhance your resume.

Here are five ways for you to consider adding to your skills and experience.

1. Improve your planning abilities. In many communities the mayor or the local planning commission has volunteer boards that assist in working through economic development issues. Work through your local politicians or the local Chamber of Commerce to get you started.

2. Job hunting is the ultimate project management exercise. Improve your project planning skills by taking a course at a local college or adult education program. If this is not possible, work up a self-study plan or distance learning to improve these important skills.

3. People skills can always be improved. Perhaps working with your church on a project or volunteering to assist an organization that you believe in can improve your sales and negotiating skills.

4. Improve your written communication skills by starting a blog. Write about something career related, or perhaps about your plans and accomplishments in adding to your skills. This has an added bonus of building your brand. If your name is Googled do positive things show up on the first page of results? Work to make this happen.

5. Sharpen your platform and presentation skills. Do you have something that you are passionate about? A hobby or an interesting trip that others would like to learn about. How about searching your area for opportunities to present the information? Work hard to make the subject and your presentation interesting and informative.

With these five ways to add to your skills as you search for the right job, you confidence will get a needed boost, your accomplishments will add to your skills and you'll go into your job hunt with added enthusiasm. This renewed positive outlook will do much to counteract the many negatives in any job search. And the prospective employer is looking to hire positive engaged job candidates.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6318535

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Top 12 Tips To Kick Start Your New Career As Airline Flight Attendant

Recognize that your flight attendant resume is designed to do one thing and one thing only. That is to sell you in a way that gets you an interview with an Airline. Your resume is your passport to a flight attendant interview.

Your resume will at times be competing with literally thousands of other flight attendant applications so you have to be brief, to the point, and do not waste words. Choose each word very carefully.

And remember, your resume is an ad about you so be extremely mindful that features tell and benefits sell! Your flight attendant resume should always be written with the reader or airline flight attendant interviewer in mind. Don't bore them out of their mind. It should never be longer than two pages unless it is asked for or is absolutely compelling. Trivial things or personal milestones that are not relevant or are used as 'resume fillers' are best left for your diary entry or Sunday brag session around the BBQ. They don't belong in your resume.

Keep in mind too, that when airlines advertise for Flight Attendants they receive literally thousands of applicants. This means that all too easily interviewers can operate with three pigeon holes in front of them which can be used for a definite destination of these incoming resumes.

Pigeon hole A, for yes we'll do an interview, B for we'll take another look if we don't get enough A's and C, for destination compost!

So really take your time on getting your resume right. It is your sales script to an opportunity of a flight attendant interview with that airline. And an interview will then give you the forum to sell yourself in person. You can then project the identified qualities of a flight attendant to an interviewer much more effectively with your presence and personality during an interview and have far more time to be able to it than via your resume.

While many flight attendant resumes are now submitted to various airlines via a ridged online format, there are consistent rules that should be applied to your online resume application and a few peculiar to the written resume format. They include:

Tip One: Your resume is your ad, not a history lesson. It must have the aim of getting you a flight attendant interview with an airline only.

Tip Two: Always write in the first person but limit the use of the word 'I'

Tip Three: Do not say something in 6 words if you can say it in 4. You have to be brief, accurate and concise. Don't waste words!

Tip Four: Sell it, don't tell it. Obviously you have to state facts but express them wherever you can as a benefit

Tip Five: 90% of resumes are in Times New Roman so be different and stand out. Your resume still needs to be very easy to read however. Arial or Tahoma are good font alternatives. Minimal use of anything else for effect ONLY
Font sizes of 10, 11 or 12 only for text (Larger for headings or effect only)

Tip Six: Black print on crisp white paper only! It is the easiest of any color combination for the human eye to read. The same applies if you have the same flexibility with online submissions.

Tip Seven: Forget graphics unless it has an absolute purpose. Do use bolding, underlining and bullets and indents for highlighting though.

Tip Eight: White space. Use it where you can to make a point or make readability easy.

Tip Nine: Accuracy and perfection are absolute musts! No spelling mistakes, no smudges, no coffee stains!

Tip Ten: Refer to references only. Your references rarely get you the interview, your resume does. References are only needed to reaffirm your resume details or confirm the findings of an interview. Don't use the wording; available on request, but rather "documentation available at interview".

Tip Ten: Include full contacts including an email address if you have one that you use regularly.

Tip Eleven: Write with the reader in mind, therefore target their selection criteria and adapt your resume contents to suit. Certainly include your interests but be choosy, they provide a lot of unsaid information to the interviewer.

Tip Twelve: Extremely important...Write with enthusiasm and purpose!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/624650

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Career Details for Restaurant Hostess

Restaurant hostesses are the ladies who serve as a representative of a restaurant. They are responsible to make sure that the guests in the restaurants are having good and enjoyable time and their demands are being fulfilled. If you are interested in making it as a career then you should firstly know that what the duties are which a restaurant hostess has to perform.

Job Responsibilities

• Her responsibility includes the supervision and coordination of the dining room activities.
• She has the duty to receive and record patron dining reservations.
• She is responsible to guide the patrons to coat rooms or waiting areas.
• A restaurant hostess also has the duty to plan the menu.
• She is responsible for managing and balancing the cash register.
• She has the responsibility to greet the guests and escort them to the tables.
• She is also responsible to be in contact with the kitchen staff, managers and customers in order to ensure that all the services are being provided properly.
• She may also give training to the dining room employees.
• She is responsible for the interview, hiring and discharging dining room staff.
• If there is a cigarette or candy counter in a restaurant then hostess may also have to perform the duty of selling these and receiving checks. But most of the time this duty is performed by cashier.

Education and Skills Required

The education and skills required to become a hostess are:

Education

The girls who are interested to choose it as a career should take some courses in the fields of business, bookkeeping, family and consumer science and arithmetic. Most of the employers hire those girls as hostesses who have high school education. As far as training is concerned, most of the training is give on the job.

Skills

• Speaking skills
• Listening skills
• Comprehension skills
• Orientation skills
• Problem solving skills
• Instructing skills

These skills are very important. For example, listening skills are required to understand customer demands and requests. Speaking skills are necessary to convey the information effectively. Similarly oral comprehension skills are required to understand oral communication from staff and guests.

Getting Job as Restaurant Hostess

The candidates who are interested to get this job should directly apply to restaurant which they like. They must also look for a job by searching the newspaper. In getting job as restaurant hostess, previous experience matters a lot.

While finding a job as a restaurant hostess, also consider about writing a professional and effective resume. If you are unaware of the format of writing a resume then look for sample resume restaurant hostess for your assistance and guidance.

Working Conditions

The work of hostesses may become somewhat tiring as they may have to stand for long hours. The job of full-time hostesses is even more difficult as they work forty hours a week. Restaurant hostesses may have to work even on weekends and holidays. But the surroundings in which hostesses work are very attractive and clean.

Advancement Opportunities

Experienced hostesses can get job in big restaurant and hotels offering higher salaries. More experienced, responsible and efficient hostesses can also become restaurant managers.

This was some career information that will guide you to choose career as restaurant hostess.

Source: careertips.blogliterature.com/

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Career Planning Tips

 Today, and more than ever, most people are responsible for building their own careers.
Whether you are just starting, or you have several years of experience, these paragraphs might help you advance your career.

The 9 most important career planning tips is listed below:

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1. Never Stop Learning

Life-long learning is your keyword.
The world is constantly changing, and everybody is looking for new ways of doing business.
If you have decided that your current skills are good enough, you have also decided that your current job is good enough.
But if you want a career in the future, you should add regular updates to your skills and knowledge.

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2. Ask, Listen And Learn

A good listener can learn a lot.
Listen to your co-workers, your boss, and your superiors. You can learn a lot from their experience.
Ask about issues that interest you, and listen to what they say. Let them tell you about how things work, and what you could have done better.
Most people will love to be your free tutor.

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3. Fulfill Your Current Job

Your current job might be best place to start your career.
It is often very little that separates successful people from the average. But nothing comes free.
If you do your job well and fulfill your responsibilities, this is often the best way to start a new career.
Talk to your supervisor about things you can do. Suggest improvements. Offer your help when help is needed. In return ask for help to build a better career. It is often possible - right inside your own organization - especially if you have proved to be a valued employee.

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4. Build Your Network

Your next career step might arise from your contact network.
Did you know that more than 50% of all jobs are obtained from contact networks?
If you have a good contact network, it  is also a good place to discover future careers, to explore new trends, and to learn about new  opportunities.
Spend some time building new contacts, and don't forget to maintain the ones you already have.
One of the best ways to get serious information from your network is to regularly ask your contacts how they are, what they do, and what is new about their careers.

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5. Identify Your Current Job

Your current job should be identified, not assumed.
Make sure you don't work with tasks you assume are important. This is waste of time and talent.
When you start in a new job, talk to your superior about your priorities. If you're not sure about what is most important, then ask him. And ask him again. Often you will be surprised about the differences between what you assume, and what is really important.

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6. Identify Your Next Job

Your dream job must be identified.
Before you start planning your future career, be sure you have identified your dream job.
In your dream job, you will be doing all the things you enjoy, and none of the things you don't enjoy. What kind of job would that be?
Do you like or dislike having responsibility for other employees. Do you like to work with technology or with people? Do you want to run your own business? Do you want to be an artist, a designer or a skilled engineer? A manager?
Before building your future career your goal must be identified.

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7. Prepare Yourself

Your dream might show up tomorrow. Be prepared.
Don't wait a second. Update your CV now, and continue to update it regularly.
Tomorrow your dream job may show up right before your nose. Prepare for it with a professional CV and be ready to describe yourself as a valuable object to anyone that will try to recruit you.
If you don't know how to write a CV, or how to describe yourself, start learning it now.

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8. Pick The Right Tools

Pick the tools you can handle.
You can build your future career using a lot of different tools. Studying at W3Schools is easy. Taking a full master degree is more complicated.
You can add a lot to your career by studying books and tutorials (like the one you find at W3Schools). Doing short time courses with certification tests might add valuable weight to your CV. And don't forget: Your current job is often the most valuable source of building new skills.
Don't pick a tool that is too heavy for you to handle!  

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9. Realize Your Dreams

Put your dreams into action.
Don't let a busy job kill your dreams. If you have higher goals, put them into action now.
If you have plans about taking more education, getting a better job, starting your own company or something else, you should not use your daily job as a "waiting station". Your daily job will get more and more busy, you will be caught up in the rat race, and you will burn up your energy.
If you have this energy, you should use it now, to realize your dreams.

 Source: w3schools.com

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