Resume & Interviewing: Tips for Success

Use our various tips and techniques for attaining almost any position in any industry. Each tip is meant to strengthen your presentation to employers and make you stand out from the crowd.

A resume is created to warrant a call from the prospective employer and get you to the interview. Your resume is a presentation of your strengths and what you do well. It is also an indication of future achievements. An employer is interested in hiring you because of your knowledge and experience you currently have and the potential that you can have for the future and how it will relate to the company.

Each step in the job application process is meant to take you to the next step. A resume is created to warrant a call from the prospective employer. The call is to get you to the next step – the interview. The interview leads to the second interview and so on.

Step 1: Creating a Resume

• Always have your name and contact information on every page of your resume and other correspondence.
• Make sure your resume is free of spelling errors and grammatical mistakes.
• Use action words to show responsibilities and job duties as points of interest.
• List the most current information first under each appropriate category: (ie. Work History, Education, etc.).
• To list work history, list the Name of the Company/Employer, Job Title, Dates of Employment, and a brief summary or bullet list of duties.
• For education, list each degree or training in descending order according to date. (List the most recent first and go backwards).
• Other information may include volunteer work, school activities, publications, patents, awards received or membership affiliations. What and how much information listed should depend on how much room you have on your resume.
• Try and keep your resume limited to one page, depending on experience. If you have under 5 years experience, there shouldn?t be reason for more than one page. However, for more experienced people, two should be the limit. Further documentation can be handed out during a face-to-face interview.

Step 2: Applying for a Job

• They say it?s not what you know, but who you know. Here is where your networking skills will come in handy. Previous contacts will help you get your ?foot in the door.?
• Personalize each resume sent to each specific job you?re applying for.
• Research each company and every position before you send your resume. Make sure that you know about each company and would actually want to work there.
• Include a cover letter that refers to the position that you are applying for and where you heard of the opening. Address the letter to a name or at the very minimum the name of the department (ie. Human Resources, etc.). Refrain from sending it to: To Whom It May Concern.
• Do not send references or reference sheet with resume or application. If they need references, they?ll ask for them. At this point, you haven?t spoken to anyone and you?re sending them the names of your previous employers and friends.

Step 3: The Interview”

• Once you?ve gotten a call and scheduled the interview, it?s probably a good idea to go over some of the topics that may come up, such as: work history and experience in reference to the job that you?ve applied for; reason for leaving your present or previous positions; interests and outside hobbies; what you?re looking for in your next job, etc.
• It?s also a good idea to practice with a friend or family member how you will portray yourself, what to wear and small formalities. This way, you should feel more comfortable and more at ease on the actual day.
• Make sure that you are on time, preferrably 5-10 minutes early, but no more.
• Don?t condemn your last employer or previous positions. If it was a bad experience, treat it as a lesson learned instead of a waste of time.
• You know the usual other tips: come alone, don?t chew gum or swear, keep the information on your resume and spoken in the interview factual and appreciate the interviewer?s time.
• Ask questions. It is preferred that you do research on the company beforehand. This way it will allow you to have questions ready even before the interview takes place.

Good luck!