You Are Not Entitled to a Job!

Résumé Tips

Some basics about job hunting...

First of all, nobody owes you a job! This obvious fact is often overlooked by the eager job hunter -- at least for a couple of months -- when he or she gives up looking for a job! Many people think employers should hire them because of their award-winning personality.

You have got to have a little something to show for yourself besides your pretty smile. The simple truth is, you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd so that your potential employer will actually listen to what you have to say.

A great résumé is the best place to start. Action statements about what you have accomplished really stick out on a résumé. Vague statements can really hurt your chances for a position. Your résumé is the first chance to impress an employer. Do not ruin that chance with silly spelling errors and cloudy information. Employers love concise, well thought out résumés. Your résumé is your map to a job. It should lead to a job and not the garbage. Write it like you spent the last year perfecting it. It should never sound like it was slopped together in an hour.

A good way to STAND out from the competition is by expressing your desire for the job with a little extra effort. There are ways of straying from the convention and yet remaining in the norm. A paper résumé is the norm. Résumés can take any form your imagination takes you. Some employers will welcome creativity and other formats such as portfolios or website résumés. A great place to discover new ways of impressing employers is at Vision-Résumé. This extra effort might just help you stand out from the crowd and provide the traction needed to remain in an employers mind. However, standing on your creative submission alone is not very wise. You should back up your portfolio or website with a traditional paper résumé as well to appease the unmoved hirer.

The most important thing to remember in this battle-ground of job seeking is that employers do not owe you a thing. They have a position to fill and you are just one of a few, if not hundreds of persons asking for the job. So, enter the task of job-hunting as if looking for a soul mate. It takes effort, and only the most dedicated win the best jobs.
Résumé Tips

Some basics about job hunting...

John Harbison is a contributing member of Vision-Résumé. For more job help check out the Career Center.

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