entry level resume writing

Just wanted to let you all know that I have branched out into another niche.  I started a new niche resume writing company called Your First Resume as a similar site to Your Sales Resume

Jobs for teens

I usually blog about sales realted matters but i wanted to swich gears and tlak about something that is affecting my family.  I have 2 teens who have been trying to find a job but keep getting beat out to older unemployed workers.  I suugested to them that they think outside of the box and they have.  My son has started to make money online by filling out resumes and writing articles for webmaster who need content.  My daughter has been looking for a lifeguard job for the summer and she stummbled upon a cool teen jobs website that already started advertising summer jobs for 2009.  I am trying to convince them to go into sales like their old man, but they are not biting.  They say this will be the worst summer for teen employment ever and I think this will have a negative impact down the road as these teens will not have the skills to compete in the future.  I remember when I was a teen I was selling everything, newspapers, magazine subscritions, ad sales.  I am afraid that the current teens will be missing out on this.

Free Resume Critique

YourSalesResume is offering free resume critiques for the remainder of the month.  We just started this blog and this seems like a good way to generate some buzz and some traffic, what do you think?

Here’s how it works.  Just reply to this post  and paste your resume in the body.  make sure you remove all personal details (if you do not, i will remove the post)   We are resume writing specialist in the Sales arena, therefore only sales resumes will be reviewed and critiqued.

Are You a Resume Expert?

Take this fun little quiz:  

 

1 What is a resume?

            a.a chronological narrative of ones career

            b.a marketing piece

            c.a job application

            d.a snapshot of someone career and education

 

2. How long should a resume be.       

            a.always 1 page

            b.always 2 pages.

            c.it depends on the person

            d.it depends on the job

 

3.It is important to include Hobbies and Activities

            a.True

            b.False

 

4.Objectives:

            a.are important because it tells the employer what the candidate is  looking for

            b. are one of the most essential components of a resume

            c. sometimes are good, it all depends on what type of job

            d. are “old fashioned” and irrelevant.

 

5. References:

            a.Should be included in the resume

            b.should not be included in the resume

            c.You should attach a seperate sheet at the end of the resume

            d.you should write “Reference furnished upon request” at the end of the resume.

 

6.Salary Information

            a.should always be included

            b.should never be included

            c.sometimes, depends on the job

            d. only when your salary expecations are lower than what the job is paying.

 

7. You should always include the Year that you graduated?

            a.Yes

            b.No

 

8.You should always include not only the years of employment but also the months?

            a.Yes

            b.No

 

9. You should only go back 10 years in your career history

            a.True

            b.False

 

10.You can not change your job title on your resume

            a.True

            b.False

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok,  here are the answers.

 

1.B,  Your resume is a marketing piece.  Your resume should be designed to “sell you” The purpose is to not get knocked out at this stage and get asked for an interview.  Many people think that the resume has be an autobiography of everything they have done, this is simply not true.

 

2.C.  There are many myths about resumes, one of the biggest is that your resume has to be one page.  That it is not true, it all depends on the person’s background.  With that being said, I am a proponent of a 1 pager for new grads and those with less than 10 years experience and a 2 pager for all others.

 

3.B.  Do not include hobbies.  The fact that you like golf and poetry is great, but it has nothing to do with the job.  In fact, I have seen this hurt some people.  For example, putting a political affiliation, ie, campaigned for Democarts for Life.  This is a big NO NO   Can’t help, can only hurt.

 

4. D. Objectives are “old fashioned”  Instead of telling them what you want, you should instead tell them what you can  give.  Summaries, Profiles, and Headlines are much more effective.

 

5.  This was a trick question.  The answer is none of the above.  You should have a page of references and you should furnish them upon request, but there is no need to include that phrase or include the references in the resume.

 

6.B.  Never include salary information

 

7.B.  There is no rule that says you have to include the year you graduated.  Sometimes you should, sometimes you should not.  It all depends.

 

8.B.  Again, there is no rule that states that you have to include dates.  If you have a clean career history with no gaps, then go for it.  If not, then skip the months.

 

9.B. You should go back as far as it makes sense to.  There is no “10 year rule”

 

10.B.  There are differing opinions on this.  I am from the school of thought that feels that you can change titles is done creatively.  For example if you are an outside sales person selling software and your title is Software Consultant, why should you be penalized for your companies stupidity.  How about this…Software Sales Consultant.

 

How did you do??

 

Even if you only missed on one or two of these points, that could make a huge difference in securing the interview.

 

 

 

 

 

Modernize Your Sales Resume

Hello World,

If you found your way to my newly created blog, chances are that you a sales rep looking for career advice.  It is the intent of this blog to provide valuable tips, advice and other info to help sales reps in their job search.

This article will focus on the most important things sales reps need to do to update their resumes..

 

 

By: Daniel Keller

 

            A lot has changed in just the last few years in regards to writing a winning sales resume.  The format and techniques of the past are no longer relevant.  In this article, I will break down some of the major changes and provide some useful tips to help modernize your sales resume. 

 

1. Focus on Accomplishments NOT the job descriptions. 

 

Every time I read a resume that says, “Responsible for managing a territory and increasing sales,” I just cringe.  Recruiters and hiring managers know what the duties and responsibilities of a sales person are.  Your resume must create a value proposition and relay what you can do for the company, not what they can do for you.  Psychology 101 tells us that the best predictor of future success is past success.  Your resume must convey a consistent track record of performance. Focus on the results; how much did you increase sales by?  What was your quota attainment?  What was your ranking?  Any awards? Other recognition?

 

1. Summaries not Objectives

 

 

 Objectives are out.  There must be millions of resumes floating out there with the same objective; seeking an opportunity to develop my sales ability with a growth oriented company.  Chances are the person reading your resume will know that your objective is to get a job with their company.   The beginning of your resume sets the tone and entices the reader to continue reading.  Use the beginning of your resume as a chance to sell your self, summarize your skills, abilities, and yes, accomplishments. 

 

       3.     Keywords

 

Most companies, recruiting firms, and job boards use some sort of electronic applicant tracking system to store resumes.  The only way your resume will get noticed is if the right keywords pop up when a recruiter is doing a keyword search.  It is also important that you have a resume formatted in ASCII to submit along with a MS Word copy.

 

       4.      Do not end your resume with, “References furnished upon request”

 

This is one of my biggest pet peeves.  The resume reader assumes that if the process furthers itself that you will have references to provide.  Remember, the goal here is to sell your self!  If the reader took the time to read all the way to the bottom, take advantage of this and write something that will help your resume close for the interview.

 

Here’s an idea:

 

Please view my profile on linked in:  http://www.linkedin.com/yourname

 

Remember, the goal of the resume is to sell yourself and stand out from the competition.  By utilizing the suggestions outlined above you will be on your way to creating a sales resume that demands attention and will produce results.