Resumes
 

I- A Great Resume Will Help You Get A Great Job

When you are looking for a job, having a great resume to show potential employers is critical.  Your resume is often the first impression a company will get of you, and a bad resume can spoil your chances of getting the job you want.  Your resume should have a simple layout, summarize your experience in reverse chronological order, and include dates.  The most effective resume will emphasize your ACCOMPLISHMENTS, not just your responsibilities in your past jobs.  Make sure you show what you have done by outlining the processes, outcomes and results specific to you.  Include information about the ways in which you were most successful and made an impact in each of your past jobs. 

Only include personal information if it is relevant or interesting.  For example: mentioning you enjoy singing karaoke and reading will not make you a more attractive candidate; mentioning you can speak three languages or have won an award demonstrates your skills and may give you and the person interviewing you more to talk about.  And last but not least, make sure your resume has no grammar or spelling mistakes.  The smartest thing to do is ask a friend to proofread it before you send it.

II- How To Post Your Resume Online

Posting your resume on the Internet is a great way to make sure companies offering jobs can find you.  Whether you are actively or passively looking for a new job, an online resume may help you advance in your career.  Many companies in Vietnam now use online resume databases such as the one at www.VietnamWorks.com and www.vnn.vn to identify suitable candidates. By posting your resume, you are giving companies an opportunity to know about and contact you should they have an open position that you are qualified for.

If you already have a job and are concerned about confidentiality, the best strategy is to post your resume without including details that will reveal your identity.  For example, instead of using your name, use the word "Confidential," and instead of putting your company's name, simply describe it using its industry classification such as "technology," "manufacturing," "consumer goods," etc. By following these simple steps you can ensure your confidentiality when posting your resume online, and also make sure you know about the best opportunities.

As use of the Internet spreads in Vietnam, more employers and job seekers will be using online resume databases to find each other.  Getting your resume online will keep you ahead of the curve and more aware of the latest job opportunities.

III-How To Post Your Resume Online, But Keep You Identity Confidential

Posting your resume on the Internet is a great way to make sure companies offering good jobs can find you.  If you already have a job though, you shouldn't risk your current employer finding out you are interested in learning about other jobs.  The best way to avoid a problem is to post your resume without including details that will reveal your identity.  For example:

·        Instead of filling in your name, use the word "Confidential" instead.

·        Instead of putting your company's name, just describe it.  If you work for VietnamWorks.com, don't put the company name, use a description like "One of Vietnam's Top Recruiting Companies." 

·        For extra caution, create a new email account on yahoo or hotmail and make sure your name is not part of the email address.  Then have it forward any messages to your regular email account.

By following these simple steps you can ensure your confidentiality when posting your resume online, and also make sure you know about the best opportunities

IV-How to Write a Winning Resume

Having a great resume to show potential employers is a critical component to a successful job search. Your resume is the first impression a company will get of you, and it needs to reflect the best you have to offer. Of course your experience and how effectively you describe it is the most important element of a strong resume, but little things, like format grammar, and making sure there are no typos are important too. While a great resume does not guarantee you'll get a great job, a bad resume can spoil your chances of getting the job you want. The following are components of a winning resume:

V- Sample Resume

Gender: Female
Date of Birth: 20 February, 1972
Marital Status: Single
Nationality: Vietnamese
Home Phone: (84 8) 999 9999
Mobile Phone: (0 90) 9 999 999
E-mail: [email protected]
Permanent Address: 162/B1/9 Dien Bien Phu Street
Ward 17, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

EXPERIENCE
Trung Nguyen Coffee, Ho Chi Minh City; 2001- present
Marketing Director
Lead group responsible for designing and maintaining sector-wide marketing programs.
 

EDUCATION
University of Economics, Ho Chi Minh City. M.B.A. Finance and Economics, 1994-1996.
Ha Noi Foreign Language University, Ha Noi. B.A. English, 1990-1994.

SKILLS

INTERESTS

VI- Why You Should Post Your Resume Online

Posting your resume online is a great way to take much of the hassle out of your job search. By posting your resume onto a recruitment website, you are advertising yourself, and then relaxing and letting the employer contact you.

It is simple!
Posting your resume only takes a few minutes and a couple of mouse-clicks. All you need to do is follow the onscreen prompts. Most recruitment websites have a simple step-by-step procedure that anybody can follow. It's also simple for the employers, who can view and download your resume before contacting you.

It is effective!
If you take time and care with your resume and you have skills and experiences to offer your next great job will come to you. Everyday, there are hundreds of employers searching for just the right person. That person could be you! Another advantage is that you can even track how many employers view your resume. Also because you can post multiple resumes, you can edit each resume for different audiences.

It is confidential!
If you're concerned about this issue, most recruitment websites can post your resume confidentially.

And Best of all, it is FREE.
 

VII- Addressing Time Gaps in Your Resume

If you have a long time gap in your resume, it may not look good to potential employers, but there are ways to deal with it.

Did you do anything significant during your gap? For example, if you did any freelance work, consulting or volunteer work then that is no problem. You should list those in your resume as if it was a real job under work history. List the name of the company or charity organization you worked with, the city and state, dates of work and your achievements.

If you have nothing relevant to put in a resume to address a time gap, do a functional resume instead of a chronological resume. A functional resume highlights your skills and achievements as opposed to the jobs you held. Split the work history into 2 sections, in the first, highlight your skills and achievements that apply to job you are looking for, in the second, list the jobs and dates. Recruiters are a little wary of functional resumes, but if you think that it is your best option, and a chronological format won't get you in the door, then use a functional resume.

If the gap was recent, it might be a good idea to address it in your cover letter. Recruiters are interested in what you have been doing recently, so if the gap was a long time ago, don't bother explaining it in the cover letter. Make no excuses for the gap, but just say that you have been out of work for ____ reason and that you are excited to return.

Finally, if your gap comes up in the interview, don't try to avoid it, make your answer short and to the point. Details are ok if you did something that you think might help you get the job such as taking classes or doing volunteer work. Whatever the explanation, make sure your answer ends positively by saying that you are eager to start work again.

VIII-Apply for Jobs Online - An Experience in Communicating Electronically

Jeffrey Banks, a corporate recruiter for Microsoft, advises potential candidates:
"Candidates should think about who they are applying to. I would have to question a candidate's fit for this company if they cannot communicate with me electronically."

Thus, as a job seeker, you may not control in the hiring process; however, you do have control over the applying procedure such as preparing and submitting resume to potential employers. When you are applying online, how you prepare your document is very important step.

File Format

You need to choose what file format to you want to save your resume in. There are three popular files formats: plain text, rich text, and hypertext (htm).

Unfortunately, style and portability often oppose each other and you have to make trade-offs when deciding which one to use.

Plain text is the most popular ASCII format used on the Internet. However, its weakness is that it's just plain text without formatting. In contrast, rich text file gives a nice formatting. However, it is not commonly supported by e-mail editor; therefore, sometimes the content of an e-mail message will result in unreadable text. Hypertext format requires skill in FrontPage or Composer.

Keyword and Scannable Resumes

In database technology, keywords take advantage of. Keywords provide the context from which to search for a resume in a database, whether the database serves for one company, or whether it is a Web-based search engine that serves for general public. Your goal is to have good keywords so that you will come up on the "hit list". It doesn't mean that you should include every possible keyword a recruiter may use in your resume. The idea is to focus on all possible keywords that address your skills and support the kinds of jobs that you are looking for. Also, DON"T forget to do spelling check!

Sending resumes

Resumes look better when they get send by attachments, but some employers are asking applicants not to send their CVs as attachments because of the danger of viruses. Some companies even automatically delete e-mail with attachments.

In summary, the application process is crucial. Getting a first interview or to the assessment stage of recruitment depends upon the quality of the initial application. It's like the start of the campaign to secure a job - and therefore worth careful preparation.

IX-Turn Your Resume into a Living Document

Whether actively or passively looking for a job, it's important to remember that your resume is a living document. It should be changing fairly often so that it best represents you and your successes to potential employers. Most people only revise their resume once they start looking for a job, but this is not practical. Make note of any big accomplishments and put them on your resume now so that you do not forget later when you start looking for a new job. For those people that have resumes up on a job website like www.Vietnamworks.com, it would be a good idea for you to update your resume periodically to make note of recent developments and successes.

Just as you should be revising your resume regularly, you should tailor your resume to the position that you are applying for. For example, a writer should have two different resumes if applying to be an editor as opposed to a journalist. Each resume should emphasize the strengths, accomplishments and responsibilities that apply specifically to the job that you are applying.

Finally, ASK have a friend proof read your resume to make sure there are no grammar or spelling mistakes

X-Photo on Your Job Application - Yes or No?

Sometimes, a job application will also request a photo with your resume. If so make sure your photo is good and appropriate. Your graduation or wedding photo is not appropriate. A photocopy of your license photo is not good enough either. Most photo labs do passport photos, and these would be the best choice. Sometimes you may wish to use a photo even when you are not asked for one, but this is your personal choice. Spend the time and money if you think it will help your resume be more successful in winning you the interview.

These are some small tips to getting camera-ready:

• Your face should be clean, and you should be wearing little or no make up. Remember, the recruiter is interested in seeing the candidate, not the fashion model.
• It doesn't really matter what you wear because your clothes won't show in the photo but always try to be formal and professional.

Remember that your resume is the best sales document you'll ever have regarding your professional life, so every small detail can make a big impact. In fact, many quality resumes are rejected just because of an inappropriate photo (a ruffled head of hair or over-fashionable and inappropriate).

You might think that you shouldn't smile in such photos, but most recruiters would like you to smile, or at least look friendly. Just before the photo is taken, relax and think of a funny joke.

XI- How Many Applications is Enough?

When badly in need of a job, most people are tempted to send applications out to as many employers as possible. They justify this activity by telling themselves, “Well, I need get myself noticed, my voice heard by all means. Any job will do.”

Some of you are certainly aware that this is an attempt made in vain, yet still comfort yourselves with the rationale it’s better doing hopeless things than nothing at all. But why don’t you pause for a moment and consider the reverse?

Quality trumps Quantity, every time!
You might feel hurt to learn this, but most recruitment managers just scan your resume based on set key words rather than read it thoroughly. For each opening, they receive a swamp of applications, and therefore they will decide quickly which applications end up in the rubbish bin without a second look. It’s up to you to decide how to invest your time, but don’t be foolish by working on the quantity of applications when what really matters is the quality of the content of each one.

Someone is living your life for you
Often, the number of applications you fire off equals your level of disorientation. This is especially true when you are not only applying to many different jobs, but across many industries as well. Just as it is good to live your life with purpose, so is it to go about your job search. When you chose that major at school you may not have known what you wanted to become when you grew up, and that’s fine. But now it is time to decide.

If you send too many applications to too many companies in too many industries, prospective employers will question your focus and commitment. If you take any job you are offered, you are relying on chances, with no set goal, and no purpose in life. You leave it to the surroundings to act on you. You loose control of your future, and may decrease your chance for success.

So be sure to start with focus and stay in control. Paradoxical though it seems, the less applications you post, the higher your probability of success. Start from within, reach out with your end goal in mind, and be prepared for the big

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