On average most employers will look at your resume for up to five seconds before they decide whether they should continue reading. That’s not much time. To ensure your resume gets read and you stand a chance of a job interview, you should concentrate on editing and updating your personal statement.

What is a Personal Statement?

Your resume template is all about you. Career experience, qualifications, achievements, projects you have worked on, results…the list is endless. But the most personal part of your resume is your personal statement. This is a short paragraph designed to give the reader an idea of what your career aspirations are, what you are like as a person and what you could bring to their company. (Be careful not to repeat this when writing a cover letter.)

Tips on Creating a Personal Statement

For each application you send there is likely to be hundreds of other applicants applying for the same role. An employer will often be inundated with hundreds of resumes a week so grabbing their attention is crucial. Here are some tips on how to do that:

• Include who you are, where you are coming from, key skills and achievements and career aspirations. Here is an example: ‘I have recently graduated from ABC College where I gained a xxx in Media Studies. I have since worked for xxxx  which has enhanced both my creativity and knowledge of the industry. I am a passionate individual looking for a new challenge. In my last role I worked on xxx campaign and achieved xxx which is why I am now looking to develop my career even further.’
• Keep it brief.
• Depending on the job role, be creative. Keeping it bland will make your resume like everyone else’s.
• Don’t give too much away. It’s vital that you let the reader know a bit about you but you don’t want to over-do it and be left speechless during a job interview. Be selective with your information.
• Add in quotes from previous employers. References are a key part of the job application process so why not use quotes from previous employers to support your personal statement?
• Relate your career goals to the company. Whether you are applying for a work experience position or a full-time job relate your personal statement to the role.

Companies today rely on and promote good customer service. Customer retention is vital, especially in today’s economical climate. So, one of the key attributes an employer will be looking for is customer service experience. It’s crucial you highlight this on your resume.   

When you are constructing your resume template you need to think about past jobs you have done and extract any customer service facts and figures. It’s important to highlight some of the skills when you are writing a cover letter too so they are easy to spot.

Many companies are so reliant on this that they have their own CRM (Customer Relationship Management) team whose sole role is to interact with customers, obtain feedback and suggest ideas for improvement.

Even if you have not worked in a customer service role, you should be able to demonstrate the key attributes that employers will look for:

• Attention to detail
• Good rapport building
• Relationship management skills
• Good telephone manner
• Patience
• Good team player
• Good communication
• Efficient
• Dependable

You can easily demonstrate the above by referring to moments in your previous roles or work experience. Maybe you had to deal with a difficult customer on the phone, maybe you worked in a team to complete a big project or perhaps you are good at constructing relationships within the work place. Whatever it is you need to ensure your resume shows this and that you elaborate on this during a job interview because it could increase your chances of employment.

If you’d like help creating a new professionally templated resume how about using our online resume building service? It takes you through creating a curriculum vitae step-by-step and you can choose from a wide range of eye-catching graphic designs. What are you waiting for? Get started today!

In a job interview you will be asked (nine times out of ten) what your biggest weakness is. Whilst you need to think about addressing this during a job interview, you also need to think about it when you are writing a resume.

Just like an interview your resume is all about you. It’s designed to highlight your skills but it can also highlight weaknesses. There are a variety of weaknesses that are visible on a resume; gaps in employment, lack of work experience, lack of qualifications, lack of managerial experience, lack of versatility, a long list of employers and a short time period in each role on your resume.

These may not necessarily be weaknesses but an employer will automatically be looking for gaps to exploit – not because they want to catch you out but because they want to ensure you are the best candidate for the job.

So, how do you adapt your resume writing and turn your weaknesses into strengths?

Gaps in Employment

Gaps in employment can occur for a variety of different reasons. The important thing is to be honest with the employer. Tell them why there is a gap and try and turn it into a positive. E.g. I was looking for the right career move and, because I am confident and selective with my career choices, I didn’t want to accept a position I didn’t think I could excel in. But before you reach this stage you could fill the gaps with work experience or extra-curricular activity. This will avoid the awkward questioning.

Lack of Work Experience

If your weakness is that you have only worked for one employer you can easily turn this into a positive. Display your commitment to the company and explain you were there for a long time (not because you were too comfortable) but because you were dedicated and loyal.

Lack of Qualifications

If a particular role needs certain qualifications and you don’t have them then, unfortunately, you may have to accept that they will choose a different candidate. But to increase your chances of success and to strengthen your resume you could do some work experience in the chosen industry. Some companies actually prefer experience to qualifications.

Lack of Managerial Experience

If you have not been in a management role, you can still emphasise your leadership qualities. Perhaps you led a project in your last role? Perhaps you mentored someone in your last job because they were struggling to settle into the company? Look back at your career history and try and include leadership moments in your resume.

Lack of Versatility

If you have only worked for one employer, your resume (at first glance) won’t look that versatile. But during your time there you must have taken on new responsibilities, worked on projects that were not in your area and progressed within the company? Ensure you write this down!

Long List of Employers/Short Time in Each Job

If you have worked for multiple companies this can make employers wary. They will most likely be wondering why you have moved around so much, why you haven’t been committed to one organisation and why you are looking around again. You can easily turn this into a positive – you are ambitious, you are creative, you like fresh challenges, you like to be kept busy…you see where we’re going with this?

So when writing your professional resume ensure you are addressing any weaknesses and turning them into strengths – this will improve your chances of winning a job interview and will help with interview preparation.

Now that you’ve got some more information on how to strengthen your resume why not start with our resume builder tool today?

Everybody, at some point, will have a gap in their resume. It could be for a few months or it could be for a few years. The important thing is that you explain these gaps to an employer to give yourself a better chance of securing a job.

An employer won’t necessarily be put off from your professional resume if there are gaps in it. But they may be inquisitive and want to know why they are there. There could be a number of reasons – long term sickness, unemployment, family issues or lifestyle choices. It is crucial when constructing your resume template that you put this into consideration and ensure you are open and honest with an interviewer.

During your gap (regardless of the reason) it is highly unlikely that you did nothing. It might be that you have been travelling and volunteered for a charity whilst you were away or it could be that you have been unemployed but working casually for a friend. Either way – this can all be included on your resume.

You don’t have to fill a resume with purely full time work – you can include things like volunteering, internships and charity work. If you have done any online work then you should include this too.

If you have had a gap in employment but used the time to study/attend training courses then why not update your resume? This will display your commitment to your career path and will show that you are a determined individual. It will also help to highlight any relevant skills that you have that could be useful for an employer. Above all be honest on your resume!

If you’d like help creating a new professional resume how about using our resume advice? It takes you through creating a resume step-by-step and you can choose from a wide range of eye-catching graphic designs. What are you waiting for? Get started today!

When compiling your resume there are some key things you should avoid. Avoiding simple mistakes on your resume template will automatically increase your chances of employment.
Remember – most employers will simply scan a resume. They don’t have time to pick out details and spot information that is hidden. Similarly, they don’t have time for mistakes. Here are some common mistakes you should try to avoid when writing a resume:

Fonts

There is no strict rule on what font you should use but you need to ensure that it is aesthetically pleasing. Using a standard font that is big enough to read with ease is always recommended. That way your potential employer can quickly scan your resume template without having to work too hard. If you use a font size that is barely legible your resume might not get the attention it deserves.

Lying
This is, of course, a big no. Sometimes you might want to embellish facts and figures on your resume and this is fine – as long as you are not stretching the truth. If you lie on your resume and get invited to interview, the true facts and figures will inevitably get discovered and you will look very unprofessional. Being honest will earn you respect and ultimately trust from an employer.

No Cover Letter
With any resume you should practice cover letter writing. Writing a specific cover letter is crucial when applying for a particular role. You will need to mention why you are interested in the job, why you want to work for the company and what you can bring to the organisation. This will be different for every job application so ensure you put together a well rounded cover letter.

Industry Jargon
You might think writing jargon from previous roles will make your resume sound even better. This is a myth. Your potential employer does not need to be baffled by ‘fancy’ words. Keep it simple and only use industry specific terms when it is necessary.

Getting Too Personal
Although you shouldn’t use jargon too much, you need to refrain from being too personal and casual in your resume. It’s good to be friendly but you need to keep it professional.

We all know that writing a strong and eye-catching resume and cover letter will no doubt help you in your quest for employment; however a lot of people place too much emphasis on this and forget the basics of what a resume is actually for. It is supposed to enhance your skills, support your application and highlight your achievements. It is not designed to solely secure you a job. In this resume Surgeon article we cover five things you should keep in mind when writing your professional curriculum vitae.

Your resume Will Not Secure You a Job

Many people believe writing a professional looking resume is all it requires to secure employment. This is simply not true. While we place importance on making this process perfect, it is crucial you prepare yourself for an interview and for the opportunity to impress your prospective employer. Your resume acts as the ‘bait’, drawing an employer in. But it’s up to you to wow them and secure the role during the interview stages.

Your resume Should Not Be Very Long

If you find yourself writing pages and pages you might begin to feel a little smug. After all, if your career experience goes on and on it means you must be the perfect employee, right? Not always. An employer will often look for skills (precision, strategy, decisiveness) that can be shown on your resume. If you can get it to fewer than two pages it displays your precision and it also doesn’t give too much away, after all quality content is more important than the quantity of it. You need to ensure you have plenty to talk about at interview and your resume should really act as reference points for further discussion.

Don’t Make It All About You

A hobbies or interests section can be very important. It shows a bit of your personality! But don’t write too much – ensure you are mainly concentrating on your skills and experience as this is what an employer will really be looking for.

You Need To Describe!

Simply writing a job title and description isn’t enough. An employer won’t always know what a job title means and if they do their perception of the job may be very different from the role you carried out. When writing details of your past employment, ensure you describe what responsibilities it carried and any of your key achievements.

Practice Makes Perfect

Quite often you will have to change your resume depending on the type of job you’re applying for. So if you make a mistake or you are not fully satisfied with it, you can always go back and make alterations! Our resume templates are an effective way of ensuring you always keep your resume fresh – why not use a new template every couple of months?

If you’d like help creating a new professionally templated resume how about using our online resume building service? It takes you through creating a curriculum vitae step-by-step and you can choose from a wide range of eye-catching graphic designs. What are you waiting for? Get started today!

There are a variety of ways to improve your resume and maximise your credibility. One crucial aspect is clarity and adding correct information – surprisingly many people make critical mistakes including spelling and grammatical errors.

Here are some top tips on how to perfect your resume:

• Spell check – read every inch to ensure you are sending out a professional looking resume.
• Website URLs – often you will want to fill out a section on hobbies and personal interests and you may want to put a website link to some of your work as a form of reference. This is great but if you have a website that is listed with inappropriate material or has spelling mistakes within it, don’t include it.
• Cover letters – writing a thorough cover letter to accompany your resume is a must. It forms a great way to introduce your resume to the prospective employer aswell as providing a medium where you can address them personally and express your interest at working for their organisation.
• Email address – always ensure you add your contact details but if you have an email address you set up when you were 10 years old (i.e littleprincess or something similarly youngster sounding) it might be an idea to change it to something more professional.
• Be honest – be honest about everything you include on your resume otherwise it will be discovered eventually and many potential employers may see straight through any outlandish claims or hyperbole.
• Consider adding a picture – sometimes attaching a picture can really add value to your resume and show personality.
• Keep it simple – it is sometimes tempting to send your resume out on scented paper and cover it in rose petals to make an impression but you should keep it simple – just ensure you have put enough relevant content and information that will attract the employer to invite you to a job interview. That should speak volumes! If you’re looking to stand out from the other applicants then why not use one of our graphically designed resume templates? Check them out by clicking on the samples tab at the top of the page.

For more information about perfecting your resume check out our further resume advice and tips articles.

If you’d like help creating a new professionally templated resume how about using our online resume building service? It takes you through creating a curriculum vitae step-by-step and you can choose from a wide range of eye-catching graphic designs. What are you waiting for? Get started today!

When writing your professional resume you will of course need to add a few references. Whether you use a resume template and add the referee names before a job interview or submit them after, it’s important that you secure a referee before you start your job hunt.

As well as looking good on your resume, a referee can also contribute in your job hunt by offering a letter of recommendation. So they are very powerful tools.

It’s crucial for your references to be updated regularly. If you have a resume that is several years old and are not in touch with your references listed then it can be very difficult to receive a reference quickly (for help on building a successful resume see our resume tips and resume advice). Having out of date references can severely delay a job offer and, in some cases, will make the employer question your credibility.

Therefore it’s crucial you not only have at least two strong referees to contact but you keep their contact details updated and that you stay in contact with them regularly. If you are in a position where your situation means that it’s very difficult to obtain references or you have no referees check out our advice article on what to do if you have no references for your resume.

Keep Up To Date

If you expect a reference to send a glowing recommendation letter to a prospective employer it is crucial you keep them updated with your job search every now and then. If they are randomly contacted by an employer without their knowledge, you could damage your existing relationship and appear unprofessional to your prospective employer. It’s essential you ask them if they are happy to be a reference and let them know when their details have been submitted.

Keep Them Happy

Your reference may be a previous employer who really likes you. If that’s the case, you shouldn’t have to work too hard to ensure they are still happy to provide a reference for you. But if they were a little less friendly or you worked for a very large organisation it is worth keeping in contact with your referee from time to time. This will ensure they don’t forget you! Obviously thanking them for their cooperation is crucial but it could also be worth asking them to attend a business lunch. Meeting them socially may make your reference stronger and they may know of some job opportunities available that will suit you.

Write It Down

Many employers like to speak to references via the telephone. But there are some that accept written references. It is worth getting your referee, if they have time, to write down and date a letter of recommendation that you can keep in your portfolio. This will ensure you have a quick reference for those employers that will accept it. Be sure to have them jot down your role, what you did within the company, your achievements and how your overall work ethic was.

If you’d like help creating a new professional resume how about using our online resume service? It takes you through creating a resume step-by-step and you can choose from a wide range of eye-catching graphic designs. What are you waiting for? Get started today!

After writing a resume, you will need to return to it every so often to update it. Even if you have used a resume template, it will need editing throughout the year to add any work changes and to delete anything not relevant.

A great way to add strength to your resume is work experience. Working for free forever isn’t sustainable, however working for free for a few weeks will add content to your resume and broaden your experience. Depending on the type of job, it will also help you practice the job application process and refine your cover letter writing.

Where do you start?

Just like when writing a resume or cover letter, you need to sit down and think about what type of experience you want. Clarifying where you want to work will enable you to write a more effective email or letter. After targeting the company you can either phone and ask about work experience schemes or send an email with your resume and cover letter attached.

What type of work is there?

Volunteering can mean two things. Working for a minimal amount of money (internship) or working for free. Either one will boost your confidence and give you further skills that can help with your career path.

When’s a good time?

Whenever you have some spare time. If you are in college you will have time off throughout the year so this is a great time to gain work experience. It’s also a great opportunity to find out what career is best for you.

After you leave college you will be job hunting so building work experience is a great way to improve your chances of finding work. You may also find that a work experience role turns into full time employment so it’s definitely worth considering.

Remember gaps in your resume are ideal from the viewpoint of the prospective employer. So if you do find yourself between jobs you should use work experience placements to keep your resume current.

Should you impose a time limits on work experience job placements?

It’s a great idea to use work experience as a way of enhancing your resume. But doing it for too long could lead to:

• Jeopardising your skills learnt at school
• Making you unaware of current paid positions in your industry
• Hindering your financial situation

It’s important when building a resume to think about volunteering and maximising your experience but it’s crucial you use work experience when the time is right for you.

If you’d like help creating a new professional resume how about using our online resume service? It takes you through creating a resume step-by-step and you can choose from a wide range of eye-catching graphic designs. What are you waiting for? Get started today!

After creating a resume by using our professional resume templates, you should find your chances of interview are very high. But what happens after the interview stage?

It’s important to remember employers will see hundreds of professional resumes every week so it’s vital that you stand out from the crowd. One tool that enables you to do this is the interview thank you note.

Some interviewers expect it and some don’t. Either way this will make you stand out from the rest and will inevitably increase your chances of employment. Not only will it highlight your continued interest in the position but it also demonstrates your understanding of business etiquette. And, of course, it will repeat your name to the employer. You can even use it as opportunity to personalise the application process and to reiterate your skill set.

The only time a thank you note can harm your chances of getting a job is if you do the following:

• It’s too long
• You litter it with grammatical errors
• You get the name of the interviewer wrong
• You get the name/address of the employer wrong
• You swear

As long as you don’t do any of the above, the note will impress your prospective employer and demonstrate your interest in the company.

How To Write It

Always remember that although first impressions are important, you will make an impression on an employer long after you leave an interview. With that in mind, it’s important to strike while the iron is hot and to restate your enthusiasm for the job and the company. You can also answer any questions you feel didn’t get answered in the interview, note down your experience and thank them for their time.

Address it correctly

Just like when you are writing cover letters, it’s important to do some research first! Ensure you get the name of your interviewer correct including their job title.

Look professional

Employers see hundreds of professional resumes every week so make sure yours (and your thank you note) look just as good. Use clean paper and envelopes and head it up correctly.  You could send the note via email but it makes a far better impact if it’s sent in the post.

Don’t Wait Around

If you wait a few days to write the note the chances are you will forget or it will be too late to make the impact you want to. Improve your chances of getting the job by writing it the same day and send it out asap.

Keep it relevant

Just like when you’re creating a resume or writing cover letters, think about who you’re sending it to. Make it relevant to the employer and the interview and demonstrate your knowledge and skill set that make you the right person for the job. Use it as an opportunity to shine or answer any questions you don’t feel you answered fully.

Be enthusiastic

Demonstrate that you are still keen to join the company! This is the main emphasis of the note.

Be polite

End the note by thanking them for their time and mention that you look forward to hearing from them in the future.

If you’d like help creating a new professional resume how about using our online resume service? It takes you through creating a resume step-by-step and you can choose from a wide range of eye-catching graphic designs. What are you waiting for? Get started today!