I decided this week to bake a double chocolate chip cake. It was so delicious and cooked to perfection that I only managed one piece before my friends had collectively finished off the rest of the cake. Before I baked the cake, I prepared the ingredients and even added in a few "extra" items to make my cake as tasty as possible. When it comes to resume writing the exact same process is required: Key Ingredients: Strategic Keywords Using strategic keywords throughout your resume is imperative for a number of reasons. Recent reports suggest 80% of companies use some kind of software or scanning program to search for candidate resumes. In today's society it is no longer good enough to target your job toward the role you are applying for - you also need to target your resume toward software programs that are now performing first rounds of candidate selections. In this technological world where applying for a job can literally take a couple of clicks of a button, hiring managers are seeing hundreds of resumes (sometimes thousands) for one particular job. As much as we would like a hiring manager or recruiter to read through our entire resume, this rarely happens. As such, using strategic keywords will help your resume rank higher and ensure that it passes the first test of being read by either a recruiter or hiring manager. Highlighting Achievements Resume writing and job seeking has changed a lot over the past couple of years. With new online networking sites such as LinkedIn being available and making it easier for a job seeker to network with a potential boss, highlighting your achievements on your resume and cover letter is more important than ever. When a boss or hiring manger decides to employ a new person to their staff, the first thing they want to know is how this person is going to add value to their organisation. Including basic duties and responsibilities is not enough to make you stand out as the perfect person for the job. You need to prove that you are the best person by highlighting your skills and achievements. Presentation and Format Your resume is the first impression a hiring manager will make about you. A well presented and structured resume that is written in a clean font will portray your resume in a professional manner and immediately give your resume application a higher ranking. Alternatively, a resume application that has spelling and grammar errors, different sized fonts, long sentences (as opposed to bullet points) and a lack of headings will not portray a positive image to the reader, and you won't look like the right person for the job. A lack of professionalism may even lead to your resume being deleted without even being read. No matter how good your skills and experience may be, once your resume is deleted, it will never be read again. In order to prepare the perfect resume follow these three main ingredients. Take time to prepare your resume and ensure that you give yourself every opportunity to succeed!

Just how important is having a country-specific resume to your chances of getting employed? Can the resume that got you a job in the UK be used for the Australian job market? Do you really have to design a new resume depending on the country? The answer is simple. Just as every resume and cover letter you write needs to be targeted and focused toward the company you are applying for, the same concept is applied toward the job market you are applying for. Different countries expect and require certain information to be present on resumes, and therefore it is critical that your new resume meets the unique requirements of that country. Just because one country requires including personal details such as marital status or date of birth does not mean this standard applies to others. Not only can this be seen as inappropriate, it can also possible be illegal, and your resume will be deleted before it has even been read! European requirements Recently in Europe, the rules for resume writing changed substantially. As part of the European Union (EU), all members follow the same resume criteria and format. The Europass CV was created to "provide citizens with the opportunity to present in clear and comprehensive way information on their qualifications and competences". This is a fantastic idea for people applying for roles in Europe as there is a standard template to complete that avoids issues such as cultural differences and different requirements between the countries. While this may be good for a French national applying for a role in Belgium, the rules change when applying to countries such as the USA, Australia or Asia. It is typical to see information such as nationality, date of birth and gender on European and Asian resumes. In South Africa it is even required to have even further personal information such as ID number and ethnicity (the latter to clarify one's BEE or affirmative action status). In Australia and the US, however, stricter privacy laws make this personal information unnecessary. In the US, an employer has no legal right to know your age. (They do have a right, however, to ask your age only if local, state, or federal law requires that employees be over a certain age.) USA differences In today's society the terms "CV" and "resume" are often used interchangeably. Take note, however, if you are applying for a job in the USA, as there are major differences between a "resume" and a "CV". An American Curriculum Vitae (CV) is NOT the same as a CV from countries around the world. What countries outside of the USA know as a "Curriculum Vitae" (or "CV") is called also called a "resume" In the USA, the "Curriculum Vitae" is not a resume - it is a longer document and is usually written only by a researcher, educator, or academic. Thinking of including a picture? When it comes to putting a picture on your resume, different countries have different approaches. In the UK you would never attach a photo, whereas in Germany or France you would. Many Asian countries also include pictures with their applications. In the US and Australia it is not recommended or encouraged. My personal opinion is to leave your picture off your resume. The most important aspect of your resume is the content and it's vital to ensure that the reader of your resume is more interested in your skills than what you look like. With all the differences between resumes around the world, it's important that you do your research into the country before submitting your resume. A professional resume writer can often help you with the "dos" and "do nots" of resume writing in a certain country, and he or she can also provide assistance with resume format, structure and presentation. With any resume (no matter where you are applying in the world), focus your content on achievements and value-added duties you have performed. At the end of the day, the employer wants to know how you can add value and what skills, experience and expertise you can bring to the business. And finally, never embellish or fabricate achievements or qualifications. These will often be exposed sooner or later and can result in dismissal, expulsion or even criminal prosecution in those countries with punitive legal codes.

It seems that when people apply for jobs and don't receive job interview requests, they are quick to blame anyone or anything. I've heard job seekers tell me countless times that they applied for over 100 jobs online without receiving one single interview request. They tell me it's because of the current state of the economy or because the demand for jobs is far greater than the supply. While both of these reasons are true to an extent, companies are still interviewing and hiring. If you're someone who has applied to a large number of jobs but you haven't received a single interview request, it's probably time to start asking yourself those tough questions. Are you qualified enough? Are your job expectations realistic that you can actually get the jobs you are applying for? Too many times people waste their own time applying for jobs that they are not suitable for. I recently worked with a young professional with 2 years of work experience and no managerial experience. In terms of salary he was earning the market value for a person with his skills and experience. For an entire month he applied for different managerial roles - all paying salaries of double what he was currently earning - and he couldn't understand why he wasn't able to land an interview. While it is important to aim high, it is equally as important to be realistic about your skills and experience. If you're qualified for the job, is your resume letting you down? You may have fantastic skills, experience and achievements. You may even be the best person for the job. If this is the case, why are you not getting interview requests? When a hiring manager first picks up your resume, what they see and what they read will be the first impression they have about you. I recently worked with a candidate who just finished law school and was running into a similar problem. He was at the top of his class and as a recent graduate, he was now looking at beginning his career in one of the top law firms. Every job this candidate applied for was right for him. A recent law graduate seeking the best and brightest. The candidate sent his resume out to every law firm in the city and didn't receive one interview request. Even the smaller firms were not even giving him a chance. Here's what I saw when I took a brief look at his resume. The candidate had put his education and university roles on page 3 of the resume and had devoted the first 2 pages of the resume to the part-time jobs he had during high school and university. As such, by the time the hiring manager had read through page one of his high school work experience, the resume was being deleted before the most important part of the resume (his education) was even read. In today's society, reports suggest that a job candidate has 15-20 seconds to catch the reader's attention. By putting the most important information on the back page of the resume, the reader's attention was focused on aspects of the resume that were completely irrelevant for the candidate in getting the job.

How do Australian Resumes differ from those of other countries? A well written and properly presented Australian resume can be your ticket to finding an Australian job. The Australian job market is different to job markets around the world and it is important that your resume is presented in the "Australian way" Responsibilities, achievements and duties need to be written clearly and backed up with supporting evidence. If these are not present, it is assumed you do not have any experience at all Use British English ONLY in your Australian Resume - words such as "specialise" and "realise" need to be spelled with an "s" not a "z" Ensure you tailor EVERY application to suit the job for which you are applying. If you are going to stand out from the crowd, you have to make sure that your application is outstanding No picture is necessary on your Australian Resume Do not include personal information such as marital status, date of birth, number of children, occupation of spouse, gender, religious affiliation, colour or race on your resume. It is true that in certain countries (South Africa, for example) personal information is included and is required, however it is not necessary or needed on your Australian Resume Spend as much time as possible ensuring you address EXACTLY what the Australian employer wants. For example, if the job advertisement lists certain duties for the job, make sure you incorporate these duties into your current resume. If the job requires excellent customer service skills, provide examples about how you have provided excellent customer service Get the edge on other job seekers and save yourself enormous amounts of time and stress by ensuring your resume ticks all the right boxes.

A lot of people find themselves in a dilemma when it comes to formatting the content on their resumes. Is it better to list your education first or your professional experience? Like most answers, the answer to this question depends entirely on you. People who list education first on their resumes typically have little to no work experience or are recent graduates, and this is usually the proper way to formulate your resume. Education will never hurt you on a resume, so if you're applying for a job and have little to no work experience, it's probably best that you include your education first. You can further boost your resume by including any educational awards you've received and you can also list courses you've completed that are relevant to the job you're applying for. On the flip side, if your work experience far outweighs your education, it's probably best to include this first, but it's entirely up to you to decide. It's important to keep the job you're applying for in mind when deciding how to construct your resume. Are you applying for a position as a marketing director, for example, and you have 15 years of experience in a similar position? If so, this should be one of the first things a hiring manager sees on your resume. The most important thing to remember, however, is that both education and professional experience are equally valuable in their own right. If you're concerned about which to list first on your resume, you can include both of them in your objective statement to make sure that they are both noticed straight away.