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Click here to find a RWCA Career Professional
** Is
your resume accomplishment based? Don't make the mistake of
listing job duties and responsibilities; rather, focus on the
contributions you have made. Write in terms of results and achievements. Use this same strategy to respond to questions in interviews.
Often
the C-A-R format works well for this:
Challenge - Action - Result.
Donna Tucker,
CPRW,
CareerPRO
Resume Center
** Follow up on positions you submitted your resume to in 3 weeks or sooner. Few people do this and it can produce good results. Follow up may be in letter form or by telephone. Example: Telephone the company because "I recently submitted my resume and am inquiring if you received it? ... Oh, you have. When may I schedule an interview?"
Brooke Andrews, CPRW, A
New Beginning
** The federal job search process is very complex. Resumes for federal jobs are very different from conventional, private-sector resumes and include KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities), which are rated and ranked with a point system.
Donna Tucker, CPRW, CareerPRO Resume Center
** Read instructions carefully if you are responding to job postings on job boards. Most sites that ask you to select a file and upload it don't want you to send a MS Word file; they usually want an ASCII file. Fortune 1000 companies and major recruiting firms will accept Word documents but check the job posting carefully to see what they want — specifically. With all the technology changes happening today, it is almost impossible to know what every prospective employer prefers.
Brooke Andrews, CPRW, A
New Beginning
** When you email someone who doesn't know you, it is best to cut and paste a resume in text or ascii form directly to the email instead of including it as an attachment. Many companies are hesitant to open attachments from people they do not know, but they will read the content in the body of the email. Make sure the formatting for the text file is clear and easy to read.
Ginger Korljan, M.Ed., NCRW, CCMC, Take Charge Coaching
** If you are told to include your resume as an attachment, act with caution. If you use MS Word, the person receiving it may have another version or a totally different word processing software, so find out before sending the resume to see if there are any compatibility issues. It is suggested that you send the resume as a pdf file along with the Word file, in case they can't open the Word file.
Ginger Korljan, M.Ed., NCRW, CCMC, Take Charge Coaching
** The Microsoft Word version of your resume will be used for mailings via post office or to take with you on an interview. Use at least 24-pound white or light-colored paper to print and be sure there is enough ink in your printer to print cleanly. Avoid linen weave papers since the toner clings more heavily to the raised part of the paper than to the depressions. And, if you ever have to fax your resume, print it on bright white paper for a clean, easy to read fax.
Brooke Andrews, CPRW, A New Beginning
What does your e-mail address say about you? Make sure it is professional, preferably your name, such as John.Q.Smith@abc.com.
Donna Tucker, CPRW, CareerPRO Resume Center
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