It’s a little tough to generalize, however, as a rule of thumb the one page cover letter along with a 2 page (max) resume is typically the way to go and each submission needs to be personalized and designed for the specific job at hand. I recently skimmed some terrific information on developing a resume that works and picked out 10 items that a job seeker  should keep in mind when updating/creating a resume. There’s no guarantees here, however, the following rules of thumb are useful and could make the difference for you – keep these 10 things in mind:

1. Be positive, sell yourself, and be believable – this can be a challenge for the quiet type. Don’t be shy, sell yourself and boast your successes and wins
2. Ditch the negatives and make sure you don’t fall into the trap of telling your whole life story
3. Highlight your BEST skills and experiences – Look for ways that you can help and show off your talents just make sure your story is relevant
4. If you can’t say it in a positive light then leave it out – remember, most of the time a negative can be spun into a positive
5. Don’t get creative and wacky to get attention – Watch out for the temptation to use “cool” technologies like embedding a video or webmap into your resume, although sometimes it may work – be careful here
6. Forget the colored paper and crazy fonts, have a clean layout with lots of white space – clip art is also a bad idea! You may dig the wild stuff but chances are good that the HR screener reading your resume is a suit in a corner office without a sense of humor
7. If mailing hard copy forget the colored paper and don’t include props that attempt to get you attention or make you stand out
8. Make your resume FIT the roll and tailor it for that specific job
9. Before documenting, attempt to build a table/list of all your impressive achievements, attributes, and qualities (See Wordle below) forget the stuff that isn’t relevant and don’t use cliches
10. As far as style goes, consider a “hybrid” format that is chronological as well as functional, listing relevant experience/history, along with your skills and achievements

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Like years past, always provide a cover letter. When your resume is sitting in a stack, you don’t want a list of previous jobs, qualifications, and your work related summary to be what’s seen. Having a professional cover letter which helps your work stand out has been, and continues to be a benefit.

Now that we’ve covered what not to change, here are some of the new rules for resume building. First, it is absolutely vital that you keep your resume as short as possible without leaving out crucial information. The maximum length of your resume should be two pages. The optimal length is one page, however, if you have a long enough list of qualifications then include them. No matter how much experience you have, no resume should ever go longer than two pages. You’re not writing a novel.

An objective mission statement is something you’ll want to leave off a resume these days. Replace it with a work related summary of yourself. Really show your interviewer what it is that makes your qualified for this position. This is different from your qualifications in that it allows you to open up and really drive a point or two home as to why you’re the person they need for the open position.

Within your summary, you should be sure to list keywords relating to the position you’re applying for. It’s important to get this part of your resume correct as it’s your opportunity to shine above the rest of the stack. After all, your qualifications are probably going to be similar to everyone else. The summary is a small look into who you are as a professional.

Below your summary should be your experience. This portion of the resume should list past employers, titles, length of time you held position, and 3-5 bullet points per listing which highlights what you’ve accomplished.

The bullet points should list your “accomplishments”. Don’t put simple duties, and functions, but what you did in your particular position which benefitted the company you worked for. If you created a new ad which helped bolster revenue, then list it as such. Including something along the lines of “Created ads for the company’s network” isn’t enough. That’s really not an accomplishment.

Below your experience should be education, certification, and other related qualifications. Do not include activities un-related to the job your applying for. Do you enjoy doing charity work? Great, just don’t add it in your resume. Unless the position your applying for deals directly with charity work. More than likely you’ll be asked about extra-curricular activities in your interview.

The last piece of advice for a new resume is to never pay someone to create your resume. This document is one of the most personal write-ups you’ll ever have to create. It needs to come from you. You can hire services to proof-read and provide tips to clean up the structure of your resume. However, the words need to come from you.

Hopefully these tips will allow you to build an effective resume for the job you’re seeking. Just remember that this resume is about presenting yourself as a solution to your employer’s puzzle. Be sure you’re the right piece.

Well you can do that with the LinkedIn Resume builder which is free to use.

In this video tutorial I share:

1. How to use the drag and drop interface and choose which sections are visible in your resume

2. Important considerations for your privacy options so that you control what other people can find out about you online

3. The ability to share your resume through LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter or your About.me profile.

You can also print your resume or CV using the LinkedIn Resume builder once you have created it.

If you are looking for support to get the most out of LinkedIn and are looking for LinkedIn training, I facilitate both public and in-house programmes for your companies and professional services practices – you can contact our support desk for more information.

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Happiness at Work

Maximizing Your Psychological Capital for Success

By: Jessica Pryce-Jones

Published: April 2010
Format: Trade Paperback, 254pp
ISBN-13: 9780470749463
ISBN-10: 0470749466
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Jessica Pryce-Jones recognizes that the very concept of workplace happiness has not been given the study and attention that it so richly deserves. The author undertook an enormous five year study of the concept and implications of happiness at both work and at home. The result of the intensive interviews underlined the critical importance of workplace happiness, and its correlation with a happier personal life. At the same time, the extensive research proved that companies benefit, as do the staff members, of building and maintaining a happier work environment. The author based the book on four principles:

* You are responsible for your own levels of happiness
* You have much more room to maneuver than you think
* There is always a choice
* Self-awareness is an essential first step

Jessica Pryce-Jones (photo left) understands that happiness in the workplace is a state of mind where people choose to increase their performance, while their companies boost their overall productivity. For the author, employee happiness is a win-win outcome that benefits both the staff member and the organization. To build personal workplace happiness, Jessica Pryce-Jones offers a five part outline to achieve success:

* Contribution
* Conviction
* Culture
* Commitment
* Confidence

Combined with the organizational values of Pride, Trust, and Recognition, the “5-Cs”, form the foundation for each employee to maximize their happiness, while boosting their performance.

For me, the power of the book is how Jessica Pryce-Jones provides a comprehensive, research based case for the positive benefit of workplace happiness. Through her exhaustive study of both individuals and organizations, the author makes clear that happiness creates a better work and life experience for employees. At the same time, Jessica Pryce-Jones demonstrates that employers would be well served by building a happier workplace culture, as happier staff members are much more productive than those who dislike their jobs. The author dispels a number of myths that have grown up around and about happiness, and replaces the myths with research based evidence of the importance of happy employees to an organization. The author also describes a system for creating an organizational culture of happiness that benefits both the employer and the employee.

I highly recommend the landmark book Happiness at Work: Maximizing Your Psychological Capital for Success by Jessica Pryce-Jones, to anyone seeking a research backed analysis of the often misunderstood topic of workplace happiness. This book breaks new ground in the overlooked, yet very critical area of the importance and development of employee happiness.

Read the fascinating and paradigm altering book Happiness at Work: Maximizing Your Psychological Capital for Success by Jessica Pryce-Jones, and discover how happier workers are more productive, and how companies that encourage workplace happiness are more profitable and hold a competitive advantage over their rivals. Let the power of happier employees propel your business to leadership in your industry.

Comments

What do you want your career to provide? Do you want a position that caters to your intelligence? Do you love to work outside? Write a list of all the things that you want from your next position.

2. Take a look at what you do in your spare time

Do you love to cook? Are you always in your garden tending to the vegetables? Do you want to bowl a perfect game? Write down what you love to do. This list will assist you in your next career move.

3. Research

Every career has a name and a definition of duties. Check out a site like the Bureau of Labor Statistics to find out which jobs best match what you want and enjoy. Find out the range of expected salaries for your potential position.

4. Find out what skills you have

What are some of the things that will carry over to the new position? Can you type 80 words a minute? Are you great at managing people? These skills can be a benefit to you.

5. Look into the past

What were the accomplishments at the jobs that you have had? Were you employee of the month? Did you bring your department’s sales up? What do you enjoy about the jobs that you’ve had?

6. Network

Do you know anyone who does the job you want? Talk with them and find out what kinds of jobs are available in their field. The network you develop has front-line knowledge that may not be easily gleaned from a newspaper or website. Look in the local paper for networking meetings.

7. Look for training

Do you know that you need to have X degree or Y certificate? Find out if there are any schools or universities in the area which train for your career. Don’t overlook the online degree and certificate programs.

8. Get an internship

Internships are available in many professions. You can gain first-hand information about your new profession. Architectural and engineering firms offer internships as do many of the skilled trades positions.

9. Job search

Read the job listings. See what you might enjoy and apply for the positions. Ask questions and maintain a positive attitude.

10. Talk with a career counselor

Career counselors have the tools available to assist you with your path. They have questionnaires and assessments. Most of all, a counselor can provide reassurance and direction when choosing a career path.

Researching a new career path can be both frustrating and rewarding. Study what you have done. Find out what you love doing. A new and fulfilling career is just around the corner.

James Adams is a technology analyst who works with a print cartridge store specialising in the supply of ink cartridges to industry and consumers in the UK.

1. Results Oriented – Most employees do not understand that they work for their employer for only one reason: results. Most employees think that they are getting paid just to show up. As a small business owner, you have likely developed the habit of working hard to get the result you want. You know that if you stop working, you don’t make any money. You can let your prospective employer know that you will always be looking for the next result you can achieve for them. You have come to them to work, not to mess around.
2. Responsibility – As a small business owner, you were responsible for everything that happened within your company. You have no problem handling responsibility. In fact, you’ll take on as much as they are willing to give you. The person who is willing to take on and accept responsibility is rare in the business world, and this quality alone will make you stand out.
3. Self-supervision – You are the type of person who doesn’t need to be told what to do by anyone else. You know what needs to be done, and you do it. You likely supervised a few employees of your own, so you know how much time is wasted baby-sitting employees.
4. Leadership – As an entrepreneur, you have already demonstrated that you are the kind of person who likes to give orders, not take them. If you had employees working under you, then you have already demonstrated that you are capable of leading people and getting them to work together effectively as a team.
5. Able to Meet Deadlines – In your business, it is likely that you were forced to juggle many different tasks, prioritize conflicting demands, and meet multiple deadlines. You are able to determine what is most important, and get the most important task done first. This is an important skill in the business world, and you should highlight it to your prospective employers.
6. Organization – There is a lot of planning that goes into running a business, both on short and long time horizons. Be sure to emphasize all the paperwork you had to keep up with on a daily basis. You likely had to send out invoices, prepare legal and financial documents, create business plans, and manage your budget.
7. Creativity – Besides being an organized person, you were also a creative person. You had to constantly think about how to do things better. You were an innovator. You have the characteristics of someone who is an originator and an investor.
8. Able to Sell – In addition to managing a company, it is likely that you had to learn how to sell. You had to sell and market your product and services. You had to learn how to attract and retain customers. You had to learn how to talk to customers and to put yourself in their shoes.
9. Self-Discipline – As you ran your business, you developed the habit of overcoming the temptation to do less productive tasks. You are a self-starter and a person with initiative. You have the self motivation to get the job done correctly every time.
10. Focus – Another skill you likely picked up along the way is focus. There is no one more productive than the employee who can block out distractions and focus exclusively on one task to completion. While most employees will spend the majority of the day in idle chit-chat and checking their email, you will be diligently focused on the task at hand.
11. Company Oriented – As a business owner, you can see the big picture from the employer’s point of view. You know that their main focus is to make a profit, and you will do everything you can to help them achieve that goal. You are aware that your value to the company will depend on how much you help contribute to that objective.

With all of these skills, it is important that you don’t speak of them as personal accomplishments. Rather, what you want to communicate is that each of these qualities will be a contribution to the company. They will help the employer get what they want. Be confident in the fact that you are probably the candidate who can contribute the most value to the employer, and then strive to communicate that.