You don't want your future employer expecting a Superman. This may seem contrary to most advice, but remember: a Superman requires a super salary. Rather than boasting, be modest. Note your strong points, but don't stray too far from mediocrity.

Sell Yourself as a Settler

There's nothing shameful about settling. In this economy, it's best to take what you can get. In fact, most companies love a prospective employee who they know is willing to accept a less-prestigious position and/or less pay than he or she truly deserves.

Leave large gaps in your history of experience unexplained

This will add an aura of mystique to your resume. Can't you just picture someone in HR thinking, “I wonder what (your name here) did from 2002-2007? Must be interesting! I'll call them for an interview just so I can find out what it is!”

Make them feel like they really know you

List your high school, middle school, and grade school. Also, if your neighborhood has a nickname, use it. The person reviewing your resume has to identify with you. What better way than discovering that both of you had the same second grade teacher?! (Background research on the company's employees helps A LOT here.)

Use Clipart

Since most prospective employers will not spend more than 20 seconds on your resume, you need something to stand out. The answer is not colored font, heavy parchment, or a non-traditional layout but a simple and relevant generic symbol, e.g. if you're applying for a position on Wall Street, use a large money sign ($) or a stack of bills. If you can't locate appropriate clip art, a 2x2 headshot printed in the upper right corner works just as well.

Email Address

Cell: number Home: number

Off Campus Address Home Address

Street

Objective:

Education: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY graduation date

Bachelor in Engineering in Chemical Engineering GPA:

Relative Coursework:

COURSE NAME: Enter Description of course here.

COURSE NAME: Enter Description of course here.

COURSE NAME: Enter Description of course here.

Experience:PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, CITY STATE TIME THERE

POSITION HELD

• Brief Bullets on Experience gained from place of employment

PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, CITY STATE TIME THERE

POSITION HELD

• Brief Bullets on Experience gained from place of employment

Activities: NAME OF CLUB Since: DATE

• Explanation of club duties

NAME OF CLUB Since: DATE

• Explanation of club duties

A. The Covering Letter

This should be quite brief with no more than three paragraphs over one A4 page. The opening paragraph should mention what you are applying for and why. Try not to repeat your resume. instead, mainly summarise key points relevant to the post. The second paragraph should state why you are particularly suitable, especially in acquiring customers and giving value for money, and using certain key words the advert might have mentioned, while the third contains what you hope to gain from the post and any special skills/expertise you would bring to it in return.

The letter should stress your experience, knowledge and expertise that would suit that job and enhance the company's service and reputation. Mention the desire to face that next challenge in your development which the new company appears to offer and the enthusiasm and drive you would be bringing. The letter should be more professional and emotional in tone, i:e stressing the kind of person you are, your personality, your objectives, reliability, resilience, successes etc, with certain key words like flexibility, adaptability and challenge strategically placed. Overall, the letter should give a brief flavour of you while the resume fills in the details. End very hopefully, thanking them for a positive response soon.

B. The Resume

No resume should be longer than two A4 pages, and at the most, three. banking is now a global activity so be prepared to address that aspect in your resume. You could arrange the details in the following order for clarity:

1. Education - all your college and university experiences, along with your qualifications, especially if you are an older candidate. Include your high school if you are younger.

2. Current Post - This should have a brief outline of your present job, its responsibilities and roles, and the main skills you employ within it, especially the ones relevant to banking.

3. Professional Experience - This is where you would list your other key and recent jobs, making sure you outline what you did. Use certain key buzzwords associated with the finance field, so that your specific skills in handling the potential tasks are plain to see, and in accepted banking jargon. Highlight the experiences which actually match the requirement of the advert rather than just speaking generally.

4. Additional Experience - This part is suitable for all the things you might have done in between jobs or as voluntary work, again emphasising the relevant knowledge and skills gained within them that would be useful to the new post. These would also help to fill any noticeable gaps and give a more rounded picture of you.

5. Computer Skills - Mention the computer awareness you have, the different kinds of applications you are adept in and your actual experience in this field. Computers are our future and you being comfortable with them shows your adaptability and flexibility. Confidence in technology has to be your keyword, especially when computers are now essential to the vast amount of banking data.

6. Languages - This is another crucial aspect in our global banking world. Any language could be useful to your role, especially the main ones like English, French, Spanish, Hindi, Punjabi, Japanese and Chinese. These kind of linguistic skills can often be priceless to potential and existing customers.

7. Honours and Awards - List these clearly with brief explanations of why you received them, specially the most recent. Honours which match the new job field should come first.

8. Recent Training - List all the courses and training you have had, especially the ones that are relevant to this new job. Even the occasional one day course in banking functions shows that you wish to keep up with the trends and not hang back in old ways and mindsets. That is also how you would be able to compete with younger people who might be at the cutting edge of their profession.

9. Six Key Words (Optional) - These are words you would use to describe yourself or other people have used constantly to describe you. These would be useful as a snapshot to tell the recruiter what kind of personality you have and could work in your favour, especially if those words are also in mind for their ideal candidate.

10. References - List two key referees that can be contacted as recommendation and support for you. One is usually a business leader, like your last boss, and one personal, or both could be from past experiences. If you are younger, one should be a principal of your college or headteacher.

On the whole, you have to stress your experience, accomplishments and the results you are capable of producing, where people are also concentrating on money. In effect, how you would improve the bottom line. That's all banking businesses are interested in. If employers think you will make things happen, while being sensitive and adaptable, you are halfway in. A fine balance in demonstrating experience, clear objectives and a love of the profession itself will get you even farther.

(Name)

(Street Address)

(City/State)

(Country)

(Date)

(Name of Application Coordinator)

(Company Name)

(Company Address)

(Company City)

Dear Sir/Madam,

In support of my application for the …………………………… position; I wish to briefly outline my background.

I am extremely keen, enthusiastic and experienced (whatever profession you are currently in) with a genuine passion for the profession and helping people succeed.

My earlier years were spent attending (rural/city) schools as a student at (names of Elementary/Primary schools attended), and at (High School/Secondary School attended) during my teens. I attended the (name of University/College) from (date attended) and completed a (Bachelor of …………. /Masters in ………….. /Doctorate in ………….)

On leaving the (name of University/College), I was accepted to a position at ……………………., in (city) where I worked as a …………………… for ……………………. number of years and enjoyed it immensely. During my ……………………. year at (Company you worked for), I felt like I needed a new challenge and applied for ……………………… where I was accepted to a position in (Job Title/Doing/City)

(Repeat if necessary)

I was able to learn a lot about myself and my abilities as a (Job Title) during my years there.

During the time I have been in employment, I have come to a number of conclusions about myself.

People in my company feel welcomed, and are comfortable and happy in their environment. They enjoy my approach which is balanced and inclusive to all. The facilitation and guidance I provide is at each individual's level of understanding and expressions of ideas are encouraged. Constructive feedback and support is readily available. Colleagues feel that they can approach me for help, guidance, and general inquiries and find that I can provide insight and reassurance of their abilities.

I am happy and appreciative to be in a working environment each and everyday and colleagues realize this through my efficiency, my appearance, my demenour and the comfortable atmosphere I create.

I believe that if I were to obtain the position (Job Title), colleagues and community members would be inspired, organized, and receive expert advice and guidance.

I believe I meet and exceed all of the criteria to become (Job Title) and my experience, personality, and attitude would be an asset for (Company Name).

I look forward to a response to my application.

Yours Sincerely,

(Signature)

(Name)

• Location: name, number, address, telephone, and e-mail address
• Objective: state both your long-term and short-term professional goals
• Competencies and Skills: this category should be carefully categorized to represent a full area of skills. You can list any communication skills, hardware/software skills, any research skills or more.
• Education: all universities attended should be listed including dates of graduation and academic honors
• Experience: Show any experience you may have relevant to the job you're applying for
• Activities: here you can show any volunteer work you've done, list any memberships in any professional organizations or any participation you have done in workshops or panels

These categories should be included on any resume, but not necessarily in this order. You can add any awards or honors you have received. You can also condense two categories into one to shorten your resume (i.e. Activities & Awards). Also, remember to list references if the job posting requires it. If not you should make a note "available upon request."

Word Choice

The words you chose to use may reflect your writing style in a more intelligent and professional way. It is best to be as specific as you can and use very few words on your resume.

• Use active, strong verbs. Good verbs to use could be: established, launched, represented, demonstrated, performed, facilitated, drafted, or obtained.
• Keep things clean: when using past tense, stick with past tense. When describing present work, do not use past tense. When capitalizing something in a list or bulleted format, capitalize all of the beginnings of the list or bulleted format. These are simple but easy mistakes you can avoid to keep your resume clean and impressive.

Order and Structure

It is important to order your work in reverse chronological order. List your most current position or activity first then go towards your oldest. Any bulleted points should be listed from the most important task or skill to the least important.

• Keep structure consistent and logical and try to aim for no more then a 1-2 page resume
• If your resume is more than one page, place a header on your second page
• Try not to use too many bullets, capitalization, or italics on long sentences. It is difficult to read.
• To emphasize important information, such as a name of a position, you can bold, italicize, or place increase in font size
• Chose your font size and type appropriately. The most common font size is 10pt and the most common fonts used are Times New Roman and Ariel.

Keep in mind who will be reading the resume and what kind of job you are applying for. You want to make a good professional impression- put time and effort into your resume. Keeping all of these things in mind should create a winning resume.

1. Lies About Your Qualifications

   Never lie about your past experiences or qualifications. Nowadays, recruiters are really smart. They will cross check your background as well as other information such as salaries, job titles and achievements.

2. Misspellings and Grammatical Errors

   Proofread and spell check your resume until there is no more misspellings or grammatical errors. These mistakes tend to convey a careless attitude to the interviewer.

3. So Many Abbreviations or Jargons

   Usually, people from human resource department are the one who screen your resume. If they do not understand what those terms mean, they will simply bypass your resume. If possible, avoid using those terms.

4. Glossy Paper and Fancy Fonts

   Resume should look formal. So, use only the plain paper and regular font that is easy to read such as Arial or Times Roman.

5. Reasons for Leaving Previous Jobs

   If you had left the previous positions for whatever reasons, do not put that information on your resume. Leave them to be discussed during the personal interview.

6. Irrelevant Information

   Always leave out your personal details such as sex, marital status, number of children, etc. Those are irrelevant for job application.

7. Too Lengthy

   Good resume should be only 1 or 2 pages long. If you have a long list of experiences or qualifications, only put the most recent and relevant to the job that you are applying.

Remember to run through the above list before sending your resume, good luck and enjoy the job-hunting.

I want to touch on today your resume and for many that I have seen in my own experience, I really should say the lack thereof in regards to your resume. Potential candidates have sent me resumes (regardless of how or what format) that are just really bad. They lack a certain characteristic that I am going to talk about in moment. Without this I was really unable to determine anything about them.

Chances are you may be missing this as well. One thing I noticed about the internet in doing my research is that thousands if not hundreds of thousands of websites crave this item. This item allows these sites to stay fresh, new and up to date. Do you know what that item is? Simply, it is content.

Content is key in the online world as it is on your resume. I have read numerous resumes that lack good quality content. Without it I derive that either one, they do not have the experience that I require, or two, they are not thorough enough in the work that they do.

Content in regards to your resume is nothing more than elaborating on your expertise, experience and education. Give the person reading your resume a reason to get excited. For example if you are applying to be the new widget sales person, don't just put down as your prior experience, “sold XYZ product from start year to end year”. Do you see how vague that is?

Instead elaborate on that. Tell the person what you accomplished and how it relates to helping their company. For example, “From start year to end year I was responsible for the sales of our XYZ products. During this time I sold X number of units that accounted for 19% of the total sales for our company. Due to my success of selling the XYZ product line I created a new training aid for our company that was taught to other sales team members and in turn helped increase company revenue to about 33%.” You get the point.

Elaborate on each job experience that you put down. First explain what you did in complete detail. Then talk about how your experience their helped the company you worked for and finally finish off by stating how you were able to contribute to the team members around you to make the company a better place.

If you follow this simple plan to fully detail your resume you will be sure to wow anyone in any company with what you bring to the table. Remember you are judged for a job long before anyone even talks to you.

1. Include your first and last name at the top of your resume.
2. Right below that, you want to include your contact information.
3. Next put the word objective and list your goals that you are trying to achieve.
4. Next you want list your work experiences including the start and end date, your job title, and your job duties for each job you had, starting with your most current work experience.
5. Next list your education, including any degrees that you have earn your school/college names, and High school name, and you want to list your start and end years and it's also a very good idea that you courses that you may have taken that relates to jobs that you are searching for.
6. List your hobbies and interests that way employers can know who you are as a person.
7. Last you want to list some references, or if you want you may put “Available upon request.”

Now see that was not hard, make plenty copies of your resume, and it's very important that you keep it updated at all times.

Well, if you need to know, in my future hypothetical company people won't be hired that way. Why? Let's see.

What do academic qualifications mean? A lot of textbooks read and a lot of assignments written. Sure that's good stuff but consider this: do the right academic qualifications mean that the prospective employee or manager would “do” the job?

I've seen so many times a disparity between qualifications and ability, unfortunately.

Now for the work experience: if it's relevant it's great but I consider that someone without any relevant work experience could do excellently if given the opportunity. Sometimes ability is disguised behind a poor work history. So, work history is not all.

Next, the long imaginative questionnaires. They're interesting, but hiring someone on that basis is ludicrous because, if you're smart, and I mean this, you could answer all questions right without being the right person for the job.

So, what would you do?

It's simple. You should look for two crucial qualities: ability and compatibility.

Ability means that you can do the job and you're probably the best at that. You may have all the right qualifications and experience and imaginative questionnaire answers, and this is the easy situation, or you may or may not have some of the above at all or to some degree.

You might then ask: “so, how can I know that someone is right for the job?”

My answer is: by feeling. You must talk a lot to the candidates, not only about work but about anything you fancy and then sense their style. You could interview him, not in an office, but in a garden if there's one. Or you could take him to the pub. You could try to know about his life, his plans, his achievements and his failures, his passions, if any. Then judge by feeling.

Usually, capable people feel capable and others don't, if you know what I mean, and you should look for such signs. Cumulatively, you could put him through some test job just to sense his style.

On the other hand, ability is not everything. There's also compatibility.

The candidate must feel compatible with the boss and this with him, and at least also with some other critical co-workers. Compatibility is crucial because without it the mechanisms of work dynamics just don't function. A new worker must be able to communicate with people easily and meaningfully. So, these people should also meet the candidate and talk freely to him to find out about compatibility with them and decide by feeling alone.

Such is hiring on the basis of ability and compatibility.