Create A Strong Resume To Use While Seeking A Job When Unemployed

Our current economy has made seeking employment a monumental task. The United States Department of Labor indicates in a report from July that the unemployment rate is currently at 9.5%. Federal government employment has declined by 143,000 due to the completion of the temporary work for census employees. Private sector employment has increased by 71,000 jobs. Information regarding the international unemployment rates for June of 2010 show the highest unemployment in France at 9.6% and the United States at 9.5%. Review of the July statistics per state provide rates between 3.6% in North Dakota to 14.3% in Nevada. The possibility of finding work that enables you to earn a paycheck each week looks bleak. Numerous candidates applying for each job opening available to you requires aggressive action on your part. There are many ways to increase your chances of landing the job you are pursuing. This hub is going to look at an important part of a job search - your resume.

 

A resume is the first chance to convince a prospective employer that you are the employee that they are seeking. This is the initial glimpse of a candidate that can take you to the interview room or leave you filed away sight unseen. Creating a strong resume is important in reaching your goal. What you get out of it depends on the work you put into it. If you are not willing to take the time to create an excellent resume, employer’s will not see you as a valuable resource to obtain. The first step is selecting the style you want to use for your resume. I am going to layout one of several that are used by prospective employees. In order to streamline your search for employment; I recommend that you have a basic resume that includes your employment history, education, etc., along with a cover letter that is specific to the job you are applying for.

Create your resume in steps using the information outlined below as a guide.

Step 1: Select Header and Footer under view in order to place your contact information.

In the Header you should indicate your name, address, phone number, and email address. Right justify this information to move it to the right top corner of the page.

Header Example:

Hire Me

123 First Street

I Need A Job, USA

Phone: 123-456-7891

Email: HireMe@???.com

Step 2: List your work experience starting with your most recent job. This information should be listed on the left side of the page. Include the following:

The title of the position that you held.

The years that you worked there.

The name and address of the company.

A brief description of the job function held.

Bullet points of your accomplishments in the job.

Work Experience Example:

Hazardous Materials Manager

2007-2008

ABC Company, 123 Win Drive, Somewhere, Ohio

Responsible for Hazardous Materials Customer Service, Emergency Hotline and Hazmat Response Teams.

Ensured 100% compliance of all Federal, State and Local hazmat regulations established by the FAA, DOT, EPA, OSHA, TSA, IMO, FDA and any other regulatory body as it pertained to the shipment of Hazardous Materials and/or the safe remediation of spilled hazardous materials.

Led a team of over 50 employees.

Coordinated all efforts with contracted emergency response teams including contract negotiation, price comparisons, justifications, auditing, follow up, invoice-verification and providing feedback on performance.

Participated in industry organizations - COSTHA (Counsel on the Safe Transport of Hazardous Articles).

Made presentations of technical material to varying audiences.

Resolved escalated customer concerns.

Budget forecasting and reconciliation.

Wrote job descriptions and performed interview/selection of candidates.

Reviewed and approved all procedures, production reports and corrective actions.

Audited reports sent to the FAA/DOT (Federal Aviation Administration/Department of Transportation).

Performed root cause analysis on all performance failures.

Step 3: Provide information regarding your educational background to include the school attended and the degree attained. If you have not completed your education it may be best to omit educational information from the resume.

The completed resume needs to be reviewed for errors. I recommend that you have a another set of eyes review your completed product and offer any suggestions for changes. When all corrections are made you have a resume that will only need to be edited when you make a change in employment.

　

　

　

　

　

The final step is the cover letter that will be submitted with your resume. A cover letter will be specific for each job that you are applying for. Before you complete your cover letter I recommend that you research the company and the job you are applying for. Utilize the information that you find and compare it with your job skills and the strengths that you possess. Indicate why you are pursuing the position and why you are the best candidate for the job.

Although many of us are not in the business of sales; we must be proficient in selling ourselves in today’s job market. No one knows you better than you. Your resume is the first point of contact with a prospective employer. Create a strong resume that will take you to the interview room - Good Luck.