myeclatcoach.com

Get The Perfect Resume

2011-06-01T22:18:00.001+05:30

You should start here.

Then look at the various parts of a resume.
Understand what makes up a resume and look at improving each of those parts.

Once done, spend some time on Resume Dos & Do Nots.

You can look at samples & templates for your resume, and the words you should use on a resume.

We have an interesting section called Resume Creativity.

Check it out to see what is new in the world of resume design.

Once your resume is done, head to over to Cover Letters.
A very integral part of creating success for your resume.

Spend some time on our articles.
Experts from across the world share their thoughts on what makes a resume win a job!

Last but not the least, feel free to see the many questions people have asked us and of course our answers to those!

6 things you can do right now to improve your CV

2011-05-30T22:10:00.000+05:30

1. Trim the excess
Employers will want to see relevant information that makes you an interesting candidate for an interview, so it's up to you to give it to them clearly and succinctly. Use plain English, avoid cliches and jargon and make sure you're not waffling.
It's tempting to pile in everything you can think of to sell yourself, but you want to catch their attention with facts, figures and achievements. You can dazzle them with the rest at the interview! If your CV goes over two pages, you need to do some editing.

2. Tidy it up
The presentation of your CV is as important as its content, so try to space items evenly and fragment long paragraphs with line breaks. Draw the reader's eye to key statistics by using bullet points instead of listing them in sentences.
Avoid fussy fonts like Times New Roman. Use a simple, clean font like Arial, Verdana or Tahoma to make it easy to read. Try it now - you'll be amazed at the difference it makes!
Font size should never go below 10 points. Bold, italics and underlining are fine, but don't go too crazy.

3. Don't forget your keywords
It might surprise you to learn that your CV might be read by a piece of software before it gets seen by a human being. These programs will look for specific words or phrases that relate to the job spec or industry.
Look at similar job descriptions to get an idea of specific keywords, or try typing the job title into a search engine. For example, keywords for reservations manager include:
Communication skills
Friendly
Confident
Polite
Organised
It might also help to speak to people who do a similar job or work in a similar industry.

4. Include a personal statement
A good personal statement can be extremely effective if you get it right. Keep it short, highlighting your level of experience, strongest skills and the personal and professional qualities that make you right for the job. If you get stuck, why not ask a trusted friend or colleague to write down your strengths? You might be surprised and flattered!

Example:
"As a confident, innovative executive chef with ten years of experience in the restaurant industry, I have shown an ongoing commitment to developing and maintaining my menus, kitchen and staff to give the customer an exceptional all-round dining experience.

In the often busy kitchen environment, my key strength is my ability to deal with situations as they happen, while maintaining a professional attitude and an approachable temperament.

I recognise the importance of a strong team and am dedicated to giving my staff members guidance and training to further their careers and contribute positively to a cohesive working environment."

5. Quantify your achievements
Saying you increased sales is OK, but saying you increased sales by 50% to £100k a month will have any employer salivating over your CV. Wherever possible, use supporting figures when you mention revenue or cost savings.
If your changes were performance or process related, make sure you state the benefit this had on the business. For example, you could say you held regular training sessions on customer service and saw an immediate uplift in positive feedback on your comment cards.

6. Take a break
If you've been doing a lot of cutting, pasting and editing, you may not have noticed that you've chopped the end off a bullet point or muddled a sentence. If you've got the time, leave it for a few hours or even overnight and then go back to it with fresh eyes.
Microsoft invented spellchecker for a reason, so use it! Remember to check layout, as well as spacing and consistency of font size. Once you're happy, get someone with a good grasp of English to give it a once over to be on the safe side.

Parts of A Resume

2011-03-23T00:36:00.000+05:30

> Objective

What should the Objective of the resume do? What should you write on it? See some examples and learn why this is probably the most important part of your resume.

> Skill Set / Key Skills

Key skills or skill set are used like tags. Learn how these are used to quickly filter applications and why you have to get them right in order to get your resume selected.

> Core Competencies

Also known as Areas of Expertise/ Expertise Forte

As the world progresses towards domain expertise and every field gains experts in niches and micro-niches, this quickly sets the tone for what you are and what you bring to the table.

See how this is like the 'salient features' of your resume and persona.

> Work Experience

The meat of your resume!

Think about it this way, if you could only talk about one thing on your resume what would it be?
Exactly. It is also the one thing recruiters go to first.

> Accomplishments

the recruiter doesn't know you, let alone your achievements

What have you achieved and why it is relevant?

Learn how to maximize the impact of your achievements!

> Education

How to write education on your resume?

Why your education is important and why it is meaningless. both? yes, both.

See

> Accolades /Awards

Awards and accolades are a validation and acknowledgment of your work and contribution by an outside agency/body/board etc.

These provide depth to your profile and in some cases, these could be the Aces in your pack!

> Hobbies & Interests

Hobbies and Interests are something to talk about, a window into your personality, that is beyond the standard work stuff. These are things you are supposed to be passionate about.

You should be using this extensively to not just market yourself, but also to steer the direction the interview takes. Read more to know how

> Personal Details

A resume is incomplete without these, yet it is something with gets the least attention from resume writers and candidates.

Here is a simple, yet effective guideline to make sure this is error-free and accurate.

> Photograph

Every resume should have one, until specifically mentioned against in the advertisement or guidelines to apply.

What is a good photograph to have? Click here to know

> References
Leave them off the resume but if you must have them, read this first.

How to Write a Résumé That Doesn't Annoy People

2011-01-09T22:35:00.001+05:30

Here's a list of nine things to make your résumé stand a better chance of survival:

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1. Get the formatting right. Line up bullet points, dates, headings. Wacky spacing will get you questioned about skills that have nothing to do with what you can do on the job. And please learn to put dates flush against the right margin. The right-aligned tab stop remains a mystery as deep as an ocean for many resume writers.

2. Insert dates for everything. If you've got a gap, explain it in your cover letter. But don't leave the dates off a job or a degree. Maybe you're worried they'll think you're too old or too young — but at best you'll look sloppy. At worst, sneaky.

3. Fill up on the buzzwords. Yes, buzzwords are typically "bad" for clarity, but you have to get past the HR department first, and they're screening for matches with the words in the job description. Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), consumer goods industry, certified project manager, SPL, BMN, FLB...whatever it is that matches the requirements, put it in.

4. Choose verbs that mean something. "Assisted," "Worked on," "Contributed to" and so on don't convey much to a prospective employer. Instead, say what you did: "Wrote," "Designed," or "Managed." The more specific, the better.

5. Rewrite your résumé for each job application. If you really want a job, your prospective employer isn't going to be impressed by your inability to adjust one 3-page document to meet their needs. Highlight the top 3 to 7 things you've done that match up with the requirements of the job.

6. State career objectives or outside interests — but be very careful. Do you know that they're looking for a "motivated team player who wants to excel in international fashion and likes skiing and hot tubbing?" Great, put that in. Otherwise, save the non-job stuff for the cover letter. Or better yet, the interview.

7. The further into your past, the less detail you should have. Don't have 13 bullets on a job from 10 years ago.

8. Keep it short. A five-page résumé may be justified, but you've got to make it clear through headings and organization why you need so much space. If you've got a list of publications or industry conferences you've spoken at, great, but put it at the end as a separate section. Consider the résumé of a CEO. He doesn't need to say that he "attended meetings, assigned work" and whatever other tasks. He ran a company. One line.

9. No typos. Your résumé is like the restroom in a restaurant — as Anthony Bourdain says, the one room everyone sees. And if you can't keep that clean, what's it like in the kitchen?

Article by

David Silverman has been an entrepreneur, an executive, and a business writing teacher. His latest book isTypo: The Last American Typesetter or How I Made and Lost 4 Million Dollars.

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Resume DOs - Sign Your Resume

2010-10-18T15:45:00.001+05:30

In a world of electronic media, resume formats, online applications, how can I even suggest something as regressive as using an old fashioned writing instrument?
I am not only suggesting it, I am recommending it.

Click here to know why you should and how it will help

more articles

see more theresumemagazine.com

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How To Flaunt Your Resume - Tip 2 - Update your profile every 3 months

2010-10-10T16:57:00.000+05:30

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Its Free! Get Resume Success Tips Delivered

How To ‎Flaunt your Resume‎

Update your profile every 3 months

Most job sites throw up latest resumes first in the candidate search.

In fact some sites (and this is on the client side - i.e. the recruiter) give you options to filter out resumes not updated in the last 3 months etc.

You could also get your result ranked higher by enrolling into a paid option.

In today's day and age when people change jobs, cities, phone numbers regularly, most recruiters will not hesitate to ignore non-updated resumes.

There is another logic to it, if you are not updating regularly, that could probably mean that you are no longer looking, and if you are no longer looking it will be more cumbersome to recruit you. The recruiter will try for someone who is more willing, first.

How To Flaunt Your Resume - Idea 1 - List with all the possible job sites

2010-10-09T16:55:00.000+05:30

‎Flaunt your Resume‎ > ‎

This is from www.theresumemagazine.com

List with all the possible job sites

Almost all are free.
They make their money by charging the recruiters.

I know it is cumbersome, but with most you can simply upload your resume, instead of the filling of the forms.

Though I strongly recommend the filling of those fields/forms.

You see when the recruiter searches for resumes (I am one so I know) the site throws them up based on the clearly defined fields.

So if you can, fill em up!

For example, you may want to be very specific about a certain skill that you may have, or a particular course / program that you may have attended. If you enter that information in pre-defined feilds of the site, the chances of you coming up on that exact search are really, really good.

Most recruiters additionally search using any of the following:

- Educational Institute
if you were fortunate to go to an elite educational institute, you should know that you are valued. recruiters (good ones atleast) will search using this parameter to ensure that the first search comes up good. if there aren't enough fish, there, only then will the net be cast wider.

- Company
Poaching is not new and neither is it wrong. Unilver, TATAs, GE, Marriott, CITI have all been known to produce good managers.
When someone is looking for a particular skill set, the easier route to take is poach from a company that has a good track record of mentoring such people.
therefore the search is done by company name.
if you do not come up on these sites under your company name you are losing valuable visibility.

- City
there two different parameters here
1. current
2. Interested in

again, you have to ensure that if you are willing to move anywhere, you should click that option.

P.S. A HOT TIP!

Instead of pasting your resume or uploading it, complete the profile on the website, filling accurately all the fields

HowTo-Ensure-Your-Resume-Goes-to-the-Right-Person

2010-10-06T20:37:00.002+05:30

HowTo Ensure Your Resume Goes to the Right Person

Get Selected by Using a Unique Selection Proposition on your resume

2010-04-23T13:17:00.001+05:30

What is Unique Selection Proposition

Unique Selection Proposition is a term I coined (as far as I could check on the web) to define an individual's special qualities that make him/her THE candidate for a job/position.

Click here to read how, why & the success of a USP>

How To Write A Resume - 10 essential resume writing tips!

2010-04-13T14:44:00.003+05:30

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Over 20 articles on resume skills.
Over 100 resume tips.
No sample resumes, but I did create a list of some creative resume templates

But here is the kicker, I never did write anything about 'How To Write A Resume'

So, here goes.

Resume writing is geared towards one thing and one thing only 'getting you an interview'

That is it. A good, well written resume, will create that path for you and then your selection will depend upon more things than just your resume.

First things first.

1. Its about the audience.

Some questions to answer when you sit down to write your resume:
Imagine yourself a product or service, now this is what your resume has to provide answers to:
- What are you selling? YOU
- What are its benefits? Your specials. Your strengths. What will you bring to the company, the job role.
- Why should people be interested in it? If there are another 1000 people applying for the same job, why should someone call you for the interview. It has to show up on your resume
- What is better about your product or service than others in the marketplace? Do you have a USP? A USP is unique selling proposition.
Lets call it UNIQUE SELECTION PROPOSITION for your resume template.

2. Most resume templates - have an objective. This is often misused, wasted and in some cases - simply ridiculous.
The top paragraph of your resume is very very important.
see more 'Get Immediate response using the Objective Of Your Resume'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/11/resume-skills-obejective-onof-your.html

3. Use Simple Words
for the word 'simple' these are the synonyms
child's play, cinch*, clean, easy as pie, effortless, elementary, facile, incomplex, intelligible, light, lucid, manageable, mild, no problem, no sweat, not difficult, picnic, piece of cake, plain, quiet, self-explanatory, simple as ABC, smooth, snap*, straightforward, transparent, uncomplicated, uninvolved, unmistakable, untroublesome, walkover

for resume?
CV, abstract, bio, biography, curriculum vitae, digest, epitome, précis, recapitulation, review, rundown, sum, summary, summation, summing-up, synopsis, vita, work history

The point I am trying to make is, you can make something indurate (hard) and exasperate(irritate) recruiters by using words that don't belong.

use simple words.
pssst.. also use action words.
see Resume POWER words. Use these words in your resume to increase effectiveness
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2009/12/resume-keywords.html

4. People buy benefits not features
In the product world you don't buy a CRDi engine, you buy the mileage or the ease of maintenance of that engine.
Its the benefit not the feature.
So just mentioning your designations & place of work as your feature, means nothing. what is the benefit from it?
are you someone who can create new revenue streams, manage projects, launch new services, what?
There could have been over 10 general managers of a particular property, unit etc, but each may have been instrumental in different things during their tenure.
one may be good with renovation, one with costs, one with revenues, and one with employee relations.
what is the benefit your features bring?

want an easy way to do this?
Think about the recruiter asking the question 'so what?'

e.g. your resume states '7 years experience with XYZ brand'
recruiter 'so what?'

5. Specifics sell, generalities do not
just writing on a resume, that you increased sales means nothing.
Increased sales by 20% y-o-y means something.
specifics.
always. 100% of the time!

6. Make sure your resume is believable.
I know.
I am sorry.
I did not mean to say you are lying on your resume or that your resume writing feels bogus.
I just mean, when you read some of the new age resume writing services produced- template created- resumes, you do wonder about the candidate.
Keep the jargon for the presentations.
Keep the jargon off the resume.

7. Make your resume look good.
Make no mistake, the content is the most important thing. I would hire a creative genius if he just sent in a note, but for all professional resumes, one must ensure it is good looking.
use resume templates, look at sample resumes, to determine the resume you want.
see ''Good Looking Resumes get Shortlisted. How to make yours Good looking!' http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/12/resume-skills-do-you-have-good-looking.html

8. Resume Layout.
Research shows that we spend more time on the top, the center and the bottom of any print/letter/ad etc.
use this effectively.
* the top has your 'resume objective'
* the middle has 'your experience' listed effectively.
see 'How to Talk about your work experience! Really Talk'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/11/resume-skills-talk-about-your-work.html
* the bottom should be more than just your address or your personal details. Use it creatively.
Think of it as a little reminder note to tell the reader, why you are special.
I may even be inclined to ask you to replace your personal details with your achievements as the last section on your resume template.

9. Write multiple resume copies.
start with atleast 3 different resume templates.
send out these templates.
see the response.
learn to improve the one that sticks.

10. Find a resume that you like, then write your resume using that as a template.
study resumes of friends, on sites etc.
If you like one (not the one that impresses you most, but the one you think you will call for an interview) use that to develop your personal resume template.

you don't have to use all the resume tips here.
As long as you use some, but whole-heartedly, you will be able to write a resume that could become a resume template for others!

happy resume writing!

p.s. Remember, it is a resume. it is only supposed to get you an interview. and please, please keep it less than 2 pages.

Awesome Resume Designs!

2010-03-11T14:26:00.002+05:30

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Last week I asked if you were Bored with your resume? and asked you to read this before you do anything creative! http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2010/03/bored-with-your-resume-read-this-before.html

The response was phenomenal.

So here is a follow up post with some really neat resume designs... enjoy!

Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!

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Bored with your resume? read this before you do anything creative!

2010-03-04T13:22:00.002+05:30

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A friend of mine (thank you pallavi) sent me this link 45 Creative Resumes To Seize Attention & some are actually very appealing.

As always, it got me thinking.
1. Do you need a creative resume design?
2. What is creative?
3. The benefits
4. and of course the not-so-beneficial outcomes.

Pallavi was always someone who wanted to do things differently and she had the mind to achieve that too. Over a decade ago, she prepared hard paper (brown) resumes and mailed them to companies she wanted to work with. The reasoning was pretty simple. In the heap of A4 white executive paper resumes, a brown hard paper resume will be different and would stand out.

On the face of it the logic is good.

My article 'Do you have a Good Looking Resume?'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/12/resume-skills-do-you-have-good-looking.html deals with the Why & the HOW.

The idea I was floating then and still adhere to is, do the different only if you agree with the WHY of it.

So lets try and answer some of those questions I set out to answer:

1. Do you need a creative resume design?

YES!
Take a look at this resume

It is designed for a server. I think the take is nice. Gives a very visual picture of what the person wants to achieve and believes is good at. The Passion is visible!

2. What is creative?

In the resume space, anything that is out of the ordinary, is creative. a design element, a photo, a font, the paper used, any of these attributes could be tweaked to create a creative resume.

being creative with the format of the presentation of information can be very appealing and interesting.

look at at this:

I think this is not only a very creative but highly informative.

When something like this lands on my desk, I can guarantee it would be a conversation starter.

p.s. the job of your resume is to get you an interview, not a job.
& the best interviews are the ones that are more conversations than interrogation!

3. The benefits

This is a passport style resume.

If you are someone who has traveled a lot and picked up valuable global exposure and learnings, this would make a very interesting resume.

The benefits of a creative resume, include 'standing out', talking points for the resume, effective representation of information/facts, showcasing of your talents among others.

4. and of course the not-so-beneficial outcomes.

Imagine you are someone applying for a bank job. should you create a resume on fake currency? of course not.

some professions/jobs scream for a creative resume - designers of all hues should make sure their resume talks for them. but is it possible for all positions?

maybe not.

you also have the problem of audience. your resume is not for you or your friends. it most definitely isn't for facebook or flickr. It is for the HR of an organization and as for all material that is written for an audience it should appeal to them.

Now lets consider this audience for a minute. for a typical job position advertised, any HR can expect upwards of 300 applications.
That is a lot of resumes.
So what do you do as HR? You create your own shortcuts. experience, education, city of residence, past employers it could be anything but most of us (HR) create a Filter (if not on paper then in our minds) and start shortlisting.

the effectiveness of this process depends on the speed of the HR and that depends on scanning the resume for the correct information/data field. If the resume is different and the HR does not have the intelligence or the patience to 'hunt' for the information, your resume will go quicker to the bin.

the other factor today is electronic. Very very few organizations today want resumes in hard copy. its all soft and the ease of applying online makes the application numbers jump!

Applying via a job portal would essentially finish off any creativity in layout or design. the reason HR uses these portals is so that they can easily use filters and other software to weed out the pile.

For those channels you will need to develop creativity in content/language & not design.

let me conclude this post with two of my fav designs:

1.

Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!

while we are on it, take a look at 'How To Create an Awesome Cover Letter'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/12/resume-skills-create-awesome-e-cover.html

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The Essential Resume Skills

2010-01-18T12:28:00.001+05:30

Resume Keywords

2009-12-20T12:57:00.003+05:30

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a list of recommended resume keywords developed by professional resume writers.

Leadership

Developed
Revitalized
Directed
Drove
Managed
Guided
Led
Organized
Inspired

Initiative

Devised
Set Up
Originated
Designed
Initiated
Started
Formulated
Established
Created
Generated
Introduced
Redesigned
Launched

Achievement

Achieved
Obtained
Delivered
Attained
Completed
Secured
Negotiated
Effected
Enhanced
Produced
Increased
Expanded
Performed
Succeeded
Conducted
Improved
Demonstrated
Implemented
Accomplished
Surpassed

Problem Solving

Analyzed
Evaluated
Solved
Investigated
Eliminated
Corrected
Utilized
Reduced
Identified
Tackled
Reorganized
Reviewed
Resolved
Reshaped
Strengthened
Streamlined
Simplified
Examined
Revised

Use these words to create an action oriented resume.

Source

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RESUME SKILLS| Naukri goes Mobile

2009-11-21T19:42:00.001+05:30

From the naukri.com official blog

Naukri.com has now launched a suite of Mobility Solutions. By bringing the power of internet job search to your mobile phone, Naukri.com now ensures that you never miss out on any job opportunity.

So, for members of Naukri.com who have a GPRS connection, we have introduced the WAP site at m.naukri.com. For those who prefer a widget on their phone, we have the downloadable Naukri Mobile Application. For members who do not have a GPRS/internet connection in their phones, we have the SMS Tools - JobsOnSMS to get jobs matching your profile, SMS Apply to apply to jobs, ExpressCV to email your resume, and CVNotes for micro-updates to your profile. (These services are free from Naukri.com)

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RESUME SKILLS| CVNotes : Micro-updates to your profile

2009-11-20T19:37:00.002+05:30

This is from the official Naukri.com blog

Is your resume able to answer that all the time? Perhaps not. But now, with quick, easy to upload micro-updates, it can.

Most of us have this inertia within that prevents us from regularly updating our resume. We seldom take the pains to regularly document our recent achievements in the resume and then upload it online. It is just not practical to do so. Yet, in order to bag the right job in this competitive world, it is important to share your achievements with recruiters and employers. So, how can you make updates to your profile from anywhere, anytime, and in a way that is highly visible to recruiters?

Say Hello to Naukri CVNotes.

Now, your resume can be a ‘live’ document that keeps pace with your workplace achievements. Whenever you achieve something at work - the objectives you accomplished, a deal you closed, a project you completed, a paper you just presented at the conference - just CVNote it.

To add CVNotes, just log in to your Naukri profile, and write a quick answer to ‘What have you recently achieved at work?’ regularly. It will be instantly visible in your resume, along with the date when it was posted.

You can also post CVNotes from your mobile phone via SMS. Just SMS CVNOTE

and send it to 5607055. Now, even if you are waiting at the airport, or stuck in a traffic jam, you can update your Naukri profile. This service is free from Naukri.com.

You can also choose to hide your CVNotes from recruiters. You can use CVNotes as a repository of your achievements to be used for your annual appraisal. Just refer to CVNotes for your big and small achievements during the year, print them out, and show it to your manager during apprasial time. Now, you needn’t leave anything to your memory, or miss out on documenting any of your achievements.

Go ahead, make your resume come alive.

Some examples of CVNotes and how they will be visible to recruiters:

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RESUME SKILLS | Online Tool | CeeVee

2009-09-09T23:15:00.001+05:30

http://ceevee.com

This is such a nice tool!

Its simple, effective. and it has some awesome features.

here are the ones I like:

1. pre-formated

it might be a simple format, but at least there is one.

If you think you can do better, you can use this to improve.

for the ones who dont even know how to start or where to start this is IT.

also see RESUME SKILLS| Do You Have A Good Looking Resume?

2. photo/picture on top

i have been an advocate of putting your pic on your resume & even your signature (see Resume Skills| Sign your resume)

3. All the major headings are covered

you can choose to add or delete them as you wish

4. 3 formats

plain text, classic & modern

this not new. Microsoft word comes built in with these formats but an online version is good.

5. Share capabilities

this is where the power of the internet comes into effect.

you can share your resume /cv with the world at the click of a button.

click here to see Flaunt your Profile/Resume

6. printing capabilities

pdf is my choice.

7. the last but deft not the least, you get a customized address for your resume!

mine is http://ceevee.com/prabhjotbedi

Follow up Note | cynosurejobs.com

2009-08-31T20:11:00.001+05:30

cynosurejobs.com offers a neat SMS2MAIL service that I think is pretty neat.. see it here>

I just got a note from them.

Dear Mr Prabbhjot Bedi,

I take this opportunity to thank you for taking time to visit our website and registering your profile. We appreciate your time to give us a feedback and suggestion for our services.

We are working on a solution on the suggestions made by you. You will shortly see your suggestions being implemented on our website.

We would also like to thank you for carrying an article in your blog. about SMS to Email.

Please make the best use of our service.

As a special case we will attach your PDF file instead of a DOC file.

Please send your attachment to vijay@cynosurejobs.com and i will make sure your file goes out as an PDF attachment.

Warm Regards

Vijay Venkatesh

That is some response.
I am impressed with the response too!

TWO HUGE THUMBS UP!!

NOW SMS your resume to someone's Mail

2009-08-31T11:00:00.001+05:30

cynosurejobs.com offers a neat SMS2MAIL service that I think is pretty neat. something like this was offered by another site much earlier (I tried to look for it again but couldn't).

Anyway, me gave it a whirl and the service was flawless.

Its pretty simple.

1. register
2. upload resume
3. sms

Thats it.

The time taken to send my resume was less than a minute:

I think you must, and absolutely must register.
There could be times when you are given an email address and this could ensure you can send out your resume immediately.

I do have some suggestions for the team at cynosurejobs.com

1. Multiple resumes - How do I create multiple resumes & send them out?
2. Multiple Cover letters - customized to the individual or the position
3. Format of resume - I generally like to send out my profile in pdf format. the service only offers doc.

but these are more suggestions/wish lists.

click here to register>

My Article on Resume Skills Now Ranked No 1 & No 2 by Google!

2009-08-26T01:02:00.003+05:30

My article on Resume Skills | Hobbies & Interests is now ranked no 1 by Google. In fact to make things sweeter, the article ranked 2nd is also mine, just hosted on articlebase

My Book on Resume Skills should be ready by the end of september

and at the inaugural price of INR 199/- it is a steal.

Along with the book you also get a Free look-over & suggestion session for your resume.

To book your copy:

1. mail me at p.bedi@eclathospitality.com

2. call me +91 98720 00604

You can see all resume skills by clicking here>

My Blog on brilliant success is at myeclatcoach.com & daily success tips come from eclatme.blogspot.com

you can try out the search at google.com & enter the words 'hobbies and interests on a resume' or click here to see>

p.s. this search was done on 26th Aug 09

PODCAST| Resume Skills| What Are You Applying For?

2009-07-11T15:40:00.009+05:30

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for the podcast click here>

I get a lot of emails, asking me if there is a job suitable for a particular individual in my company.
Here are my thoughts on that...

I want this one!

by iwona_kellie

If you don't know what a suitable job for yourself is, how would someone else?

Here you are, a professional, with a degree/education, maybe some professional/training/internship experience and you still don't know what job title you should be applying for.

I can understand if you are uncertain at what level you should pitch. for e.g. if it is a large company you maybe happy being a supervisor, but in a small hotel you may want a managerial position, but to not even mention the department or even the area of expertise is unacceptable.

Here is what you should do:

> Mention your interest, job title applying for, aiming for, in the header of the email/letter
> You can also list all the possibilities you maybe interested in. e.g. Duty Manager, Asst Front Office Manager, Concierge Manager etc

example | applying for/interested in the position of executive/manager in accounts management

The sooner the person managing the 'shortlisting' process knows what you applying for, the sooner you move to the next level.

P.S. A VERY VERY IMP TIP!

For the same organization, please, please do not send your resume for multiple positions. The organization may be advertising for a lot of positions, but you should make up your mind as to where you fit and go with that!

RESUME SKILLS| Sending your resume my mail? See this before you press the Send button!

2009-06-13T10:22:00.003+05:30

I receive 100+ resumes a day and that is a lot for me.

So imagine the number of resumes a recruiter will recieve when they advertize for a position. LOADS!

I recently advertised for a Manager - HR profile and recd 2500+ resumes.

I wrote about how you can ensure your resume stands out RESUME SKILLS| Do You Have A Good Looking Resume? and also How much time does a recruiter spend on your resume? but today I want to talk about a strategy that I think would work to ensure your resume is not only received it is also read.

what is the secret, the strategy?

Find someone to send the resume to.
Make it personal.
Find a link and exploit it.
Put a name to the nameless email address e.g. careers@xzyhotels.com

How?

1. Personal Contacts | find someone in the company who can forward your resume or tell you who works in HR. better still find someone in HR

2. Internet | online groups & social media sites will tell you all you need to know. You dont need to know the HR individual personally, you just need to know who to send the profile to.

3. Call the company/Hotel | ask for the name of the HR executive/manager. You could ask the telephone operator or ask the HR themselves. Ask.

4. Visit the hotel /Company | I know this is old fashioned and cumbersome. One of the reasons why not many people do it anymore. You could just simply drop your resume at the reception or walk up to HR and hand it to them. Smile when you are there!

Now that you have the name, make sure you structure the subject line well.
K/Attn: Mr/Ms XYZ | Profile for "job applied for"

Ensure the cover letter is personalized as well.

Dear Mr/Ms XYZ,

Further to your ..... I take this opportunity to apply/forward my candidature for the position of ......

p.s. I wrote about how to structure your cover letter. go to RESUME SKILLS| Create an Awesome e-cover letter

Cheers!
Prabhjot Bedi
The Eclat Coach

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you can write to me at p.bedi@eclathospitality.com or catch me on +91 98720 00604

Flaunt your Profile/Resume

2009-03-14T15:50:00.002+05:30

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What an Idea sirji!

Resume T-Shirts. With the current state of affairs, this does evoke a chuckle.

I am also reminded of an ad, where the job-seeker gives out his resume to every passenger on the flight and then with some copies left starts handing them out to the stewardess.

Am I suggesting that? No, but I am suggesting the general principle.

If you are looking for a job, then you must do the following, if you aren't already:

1. List with all the possible job sites. Its free. I know it is cumbersome, but with most you can simply upload your resume, instead of the filling of the forms. Though I strongly recommend the filling of those fields/forms. You see when the recruiter searched for resumes (I am one so I know) the site throws them up based on the clearly defined fields. So if you can, fill em up!

2. Update your profile every 3 months in the very least. Most job sites throw up latest resumes first in the candidate search.

3. On all your social networks, facebook, orkut, linkedin, or more, please add the following to your name/user id/status "*seeking"
Every time anyone in your network logs in, they will see your silent plea!

4. Send out customized mails to consultants. Do not do a mass mailer. Please write an nice introductory letter, preferable with your name.

5. Get listed on company portals. It is a long shot, but with the slowdown, companies maynot want to pay consultants anymore...hence the direct approach.

6. Help someone else get a job. How does this help. Well it gives you a nice excuse to call the HR and chat on behalf of someone else. You just might find something suitable for yourself.

7. Lastly, as in marketing, so in life or job hunting. 'Jo Dikta Hai, Woh bikta hai!' Be seen or be heard of or be heard from!

Cheers!
Prabhjot Bedi
The Eclat Coach

Interview Skills| Perfect practice makes perfect performance! 5 Ways to Practice

2009-01-15T22:52:00.001+05:30

As with any performance ,such as acting or public speaking, the more you practice the better you will get at it.

It's not enough to know the answers. You must be able to deliver them in the best possible way.

More importantly, practice should be such that you can eliminate what are seemingly obstructions in your communication. so must be learn and improve with each practice session. merely doing the same thing over & over again, may just prove harmful rather than helpful.

here are my 5 suggestions for practicing:

1. Write all your answers & have them approved by a language expert
At a campus recruitment session once, I noticed all the students making the same grammatical error, until I realized that the mistake was a result for blind cut-copy-paste method for resume building.

2. Record your answers on a tape/CD/Computer/Phone/recording device & listen to them
You will notice your pitch, volume, speech slurs, use of fillers like hmmm, etc. Keep correcting this and keep re-recording till you get it right.

3. Once you think it is perfect, get it approved by a speech expert/ or someone you think has a good ear. correct what they tell you to and re-record.

4. Now stand in front of a mirror & practice.

5. Confident? good. Now record the same on a video recorder/camera phone and again show it to friends/family/mentor etc.

remember, Perfect practice makes perfect performance.

Cheers!
Prabhjot Bedi
The Eclat Coach

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you can write to me at p.bedi@eclathospitality.com or catch me on +91
98720 00604

Get Interview calls by signing your resume!

2008-02-22T22:41:00.004+05:30

In the world of electronic media, resume formats, online applications, how can I even suggest something as regressive as using an old fashioned writing instrument? I am not only suggesting it, I am recommending it.

The art of reading handwriting is called graphology.
The logic is pretty simple.

Handwriting is nothing but an output of the electrical impulses of the brain.
Since it is an output, one can gauge the person/individual from the handwriting.

So if your handwriting is neat, cursive, with a slant towards the right and all your ‘i’s are dotted and ‘t’s are crossed, one could safely assume that you are a meticulous person. Sharp ‘n’s and ‘m’s would display intelligence and a upward slant of the signature would display ambition.

This is not a session/write up on graphology.
To read more on that see:

1. what does your handwriting tell about you

2. what does your signature say about you?

what I am suggesting is, that since there is a way to show the prospective employer what kind of a person you are, from something as simple as a signature, why would you not want to distinguish yourself from the crowd?

Imagine receiving over a 1000 applications for a position.
Now imagine all of the resumes having similar formats, fonts, resume templates or resume designs.
Where is the human element?

Your signature could be the one element that sets you apart from the crowd. The one thing that makes the recruiter stop and look at your resume and get a glimpse into your personality, that unfortunately cannot be read from a ‘Times New Roman’ font size 12.

So go ahead and sign your resume.

Scan it and embed it into your cover letter and your resume.

From the Coach

Prabhjot Bedi