This is the second lesson from the course dedicated to job seeking in the modern world. In the previous lesson I described the main theses and directions at seeking a job, using the last achievements of human thought. But no matter how quickly the technologies are developing, there exist the rules that no-one can change. Here are two of them:

•  To claim a good job one needs to have a good resume;
• The more time You spend on composing the resume, the faster You find a good job.

Commonplace, but true.
For the successful career build-up and job selection, You need to draw-up a resume.

There exist three types of a resume:

1. General resume That's a resume where You describe all Your achievements and talents.
2. Dedicated resume That's a resume for sending to a certain company to a certain position. Here You make the accent upon the use You'll bring namely to this company and at this position.
3. General dedicated resume That is the mix of the previous two types. You're unaware what concrete position is open in a company. Here You emphasize the use You can bring to the company thanks to Your multiple talents.

At composing the resume You will, most probably, face difficulties. Though You know for sure what You want to present, when trying to commit Your thoughts in writing You encounter a stupor. That even might prove an insurmountable barrier. But don't worry, all is much simpler than appears.

First of all, You should build the structure of Your future resume.

• Contact information.
• Your goal.
• Professional level.
• Work history.
• Education.

The structure is the most easy part. But building it will greatly simplify Your further work on the resume.
A more difficult part is ahead of You.

• First You want to realize “what” You want. To be more precise, You need to make out what You “really want”.
• Then You need to determine what “They” want. That is, what the managers of Your potential employing company want.

Only upon clarifying these two points, You'd be able to find the key to their hearts and to push them towards the decision to employ You.

To define what You really need might turn out to be a more baffling problem than at first sight. One needs to lean upon not only what's needed here and now, but taking into the account own plans for the nearest for 3-4 years at the minimum.

What for?

Having determined Your plans for the nearest future, You would choose from the multitude of the offered jobs the ones You truly need, more soundly and correctly. The very first proposal received does not at all mean the end of the job seek. You should treat the job selection none the less serious than You treat other important aspects of Your life.

Now let's try to find out what “They” require. What is in the head of a man who would read Your resume and take the decision to invite You to the interview or not. Think it's impossible? But let's try anyway. Do imagine any profession where You possess zero experience. For example, the profession of a surgeon. So, You're the personnel department head. You have to take the decision as to the selection of candidates to the surgeon position.

What criteria You'd use at the selection? How will You determine who's the good one, and who's so-so? Think the comparison is not correct? I assure You, that's the case. That is the typical situation proper. A manager reading Your resume most probably does not know the intricacies of Your profession and will be governed at selection by the following:

• The instructions;
• The same criteria by which You'd select a surgeon. Now let's set about the resume itself, point by point.

Contact information.

What is the most important part of the resume? Your successes at the previous workplace? Your education? References from Your colleagues and recommendations? No. The most important part of the resume is Your contact information. That is who You're and what You're, where You live and how to contact You. Full name, address, telephone, e-mail – and icq and skype if available.

See, it's easier now: we already have the resume beginning. The clouds thin-out, and the sun will shine very soon.

Your aim (what position You wish to take and what successes to achieve).

So, the next point: The aim You have put before Yourself. Think it's a trifle? Think all's clear and, when they have read the description of Your career, it's easy to conclude on the aims set before You? But would they read the description of Your career progress? Most probably, if a manager is not interested by the first lines, then further on, even if he reads on, he would hardly analyze. Another thing, if You declare the aim, which would position You as an ambitious employee ready to work day and night.

I strongly recommend to declare the aim in the following cases:

• The resume is filed to a certain position. E. g., to the position of the marketing of the firm «Johnson & Sons».
• You abruptly change the area of activity (e. g., to acquire more experience in the adjacent area);
• You don't possess work experience, e. g., have just finished studies;
•  In other cases, where Your career description will render little help in taking the required position.

And certainly, while composing the resume do ever think of those who would read it. Don't emphasize what YOU need, but always write of what You can offer THEM.

Professional profile.

Resume is not simply a short list of your professional activity, of all You had done. This is the declaration of what You can do for the company. This is the package of personal and professional characteristics that You offer the company. This is what in Your mind guarantees the effective work. For example,

Leading engineer offers the impressive experience in the area of...

Remember what You already know of the criteria.

That is, what features the surgeon must possess, the one whom You was going to hire. What skills, talents, achievements this man should have as to Your wish.

Should this surgeon (engineer, etc.), to occupy this position, be capable to quickly master a new technological trend, effectively lower the production costs, and, perhaps, have the experience in communicating with people and arranging the relations with the suppliers.

In any case at this stage You should think about what can attract You to the company and what You can offer them. Put Yourself in the shoes of Your resume reader. Resume is the place where You list Your skills so as to interest the potential “Reader”.

Curriculum vitae.

The greatest error of the applicants is that they turn the resume into the presentation of their biography. Moreover, they start to describe their bio-data in a free manner. Sure, that might be fascinating but only to those who write it. So what to do? Let's give it a thought. Any work at any position can be described in brief, and, what's more important, in a good format. The people are hired to a job because a certain problem has arisen. And they are hired to resolve this problem. That's why You should present Your career by the three aspects: problem, solution, result.

I'd give Your the example of a most trivial profession – the Secretary.

The secretaries are hired to solve the following problems:

• The telephone rings.
• A client asking questions.
• A schedule of conferences and meetings is needed.
• A certain document needs to be found.

These problems are better known as his/her duties.

Their solutions are:

• Answer the telephone calls.
• Give the information to the clients.
• Organize and plan the appointments.
• Produce the needed documents at the request.

The results of her work:

• A qualified answer was given to all the calls or they were transferred to the required employee.
• The clients obtained the necessary and timely information (the clients are satisfied, the management is happy)
• The meeting schedule is optimal and productive.
• The flow of documents is kept in the state where the needed one can be located easily and timely.

How do we indicate all that in a secretary's resume?

Let's give it a try.

•  Managing the communications with the advertising companies;
•  Provision of a real and productive schedule of meetings with clients and partners of the director and the marketing department manager;
• Controlling several desk-top telephone systems while providing a quick and effective service for the existing and potential clients. Understanding the needs and requirements of the clients in the industry.
• Coordinating and supporting the data-base and the document flow. Operating the quick data access system, rising the speed of receiving the data needed by 70 percent.

Does it not look better than simply “I was in charge of the phone calls, planning and documents“, or what is even worse «I was just a secretary”?

Education.

If the education meanwhile is Your greatest career achievement, or if You're sure that it is completely corresponds the position You're claiming, then put it at the head of the resume. But if Your education is not absolutely fitting or was received long ago, then first put your career history.

But what to do if You have an excellent professional education and a formidable career? In this case, put at the head of the resume Your greatest achievement in the education, e. g., Johnson, Engineer, Doctor of Science. And put the full education description in the standard graphs.

Other data.

Here You can indicate any other information about Yourself, but only if it's directly linked to the use You can bring to the potential employer. You don't need to supply the excessive and irrelevant data on Yourself, such as Your height, weight, marital status, religious convictions, lawsuits (moreover, if You've sued the previous employer).

Don't include Your photo in the resume, even the best one. You may be totally sure of Your appearance, but the photo can serve an ill office. Let Your looks be a surprise.

Where to see the examples of ready resumes.

Of course, seeing once is better than hearing twice. Before composing Your resume, do study the competition in the resumes market. The simplest way is to type Your profession in the search engine, e. g. Google. For example, “engineer+resume+job”.

Or visit any employment site and search a resume there.

In the results found You'd see the examples of other people's resumes. Study them. Review their strong and weak points. Put Yourself in the employer's shoes. After studying the competitors' resumes start composing Yours. Use their experience and don't repeat their mistakes.