It happens in everyone's career at least once - a great opportunity comes up and either you don't have a resume or the one you have is too dusty to even consider using. Here's some tips for writing a resume that I call the Overnight Resume (TM) .

Resume Writing Tips

First of all, center your full name, address, phone number, and e-mail (no goofy e-mail names) at the top of the page. It's called a heading, and it should look like this:

Carey Jones
533 Surrey Place
Anytown, Anystate, 12345
(234) 567-8910
cjones@anything.net

Next, you need a resume objective. Skip a space between your heading and the objective. Basically, use the name of the position you are now applying for in the resume objective, in combination with a mention of your education (if any) and experience. It should look something like this:

OBJECTIVE: A challenging position as an account clerk that will utilize my degree in accounting and five years of banking experience.

Next, we'll do the education portion of your resume. You'll need to include the name of the school or college you attended, location, your degree (or diploma in case of high school), date of graduation. You can include your GPA if it's 3.0 or higher. Again, you need to skip a space in between sections of your resume.

For a college graduate, it should look like this:

EDUCATION: Lawrence College, Anytown, NY, Bachelor of Arts, English, GPA: 3.0.

For a high school graduate, it would look like this:

Jones High School, Jonestown, NY, High School Diploma, 1988

Next, we're going to tackle the Work Experience section of your Overnight Resume (TM). Because we're going to do the most popular form of resume, the chronological resume, we'll start with your current (or last) employer. You'll need to list the name of the company, location, dates of employment, your position, your job duties/responsibilities, and accomplishments (if applicable). Here's an example to follow:

The Lake Restaurant 9/2006 to Present
Lakeville, NY
Waiter

Serve food and beverage to customers, operate cash register, make salads, bus tables, set tables, greet customers, and fill in as bartender when needed. Named Employee of the Month in February 2008 due to personal sales volume in excess of $5,000.

Now you need to work backwards to include each position you've held for the past ten years or so. This is called reversed chronological order. If you've been in the workforce for many years, you don't need to include your entire work history. If you're 55, you don't need to include the store you worked at when you were in high school. The last ten years of your work history will be the most relevant in most cases.

Congratulations! Not everyone knows how to write a resume, but now you've completed your Overnight Resume. At the bottom, you can put "References Available Upon Request" (centered) (if you have room on the page). Otherwise, just end with your last position in the Work Experience section. You can go over one page to two pages if you need to (depends on how many years you've been working).

Keep this resume (save the file) and you can improve upon it when you have more time. See - writing a resume doesn't have to be a nightmare. Just follow our tips for effective resume writing and you'll be set.

You'll probably also need a cover letter so you can check out that section of the site. Good luck!

Let’s talk about cover letters. What is a cover letter? Simply, it’s a letter that accompanies your resume when you are applying for a position. It introduces you and explains why you’ve sent your resume to a particular company. In a cover letter, you express your interest in interviewing for a position. You can refer to your resume in the cover letter, pointing out how you’re qualified for the position. You are trying to get a personal interview for the job.

Like your resume, a cover letter is also a marketing tool meant to persuade the reader to invite you for an interview. You need to get the prospective employer's attention, and show him/her how you would benefit the company. You only have a few paragraphs to try to get your foot in the door, so you must be as effective as possible when writing your letter. We’re going to learn how to write an effective cover letter for your job search. Let's start now.

If you physically go to a company to apply for a job, you may not need a cover letter. You can fill out an application and leave a copy of your resume with someone in Human Resources. However, if you learn about an opening through an advertisement or vacancy announcement, you’ll need to send a letter with your resume, and sometimes references too. It all depends on what is requested in the advertisement or announcement. Many want you to send resume, cover letter, and three or more references.

Companies are usually structured with regard to how they handle vacancies. The employees will let you know what you need to submit in order to apply for a particular position. If you’re faxing the resume, you should send a cover letter with it so they know why you’re sending your resume and which position you’re interested in.

A cover letter is similar to other business correspondence. You date the letter at the top. Below that, you normally have the name of the person to whom you are directing the letter, their title, the company name, and address. You open the letter with a greeting. The first paragraph should explain your purpose for writing the cover letter.

The second paragraph explains how you’re qualified for the position. You can refer to your resume when doing this (which you’ve sent with the cover letter). Finally, close the cover letter with a paragraph requesting an opportunity to interview for the position. Finish with a traditional closing, such as Sincerely, and sign your name to the cover letter. Congratulations – you’re done!

By far, the most popular type of resume is the chronological resume. Chronological means to be arranged in the order of occurrence. Events are listed in the order in which they occurred as opposed to any other kind of order. A chronological resume is sometimes called reverse chronological or reversed chronological because the last event (your last or current employer) is listed first on the resume. This employer is followed by your last or second-to-last employer, and so on. You work backwards through your job history on this form of resume.

Listing your work experience chronologically is helpful for a couple of reasons. Because your career will most likely evolve from lower level positions to ones of higher responsibility, your last or current position will probably be your most impressive. Listing your most current position first on your resume makes sense as it puts your most recent, and hopefully most relevant or impressive, experience first.

A chronological resume is preferred because it is clear and simple to read as opposed to other resume types. An employer can easily check out your job experience in order. He or she can see where you worked, when you worked there, and for what period of time in addition to your job duties. There are no surprises here, as everything is spelled out in black and white.

Chronological resumes are the norm. Most people use them because they are easy to write, especially if you can readily remember where you worked and at what time period. Keep copies of your old resumes. You can then refer back to them when writing a new resume or updating your present one. This saves time looking up dates, employment titles and duties, your college grade point average, etc.

Chronological resumes are good for people who have a relatively stable work history. This is because employment gaps are very obvious on a chronological resume as opposed to a functional resume. Employers like to see that a person has been steadily employed as that is a sign of reliability and maturity. It suggests to the employer that this person will stay in the prospective position for some period of time.

A chronological resume is suggested for a person who has been working in the same field for a while and is looking for another similar position. The career progression on a chronological resume shows the employer where you’ve worked, for what period of time, the duties you performed, and the amount of time you were responsible for those job duties. Hopefully, the prospective employer will see potential and stability in you as an employee.

Employers like chronological resumes because they’re easy to read, and gaps in work history are easy to recognize. For an employer, these gaps are red flags. A chronological resume quickly points out a job hopper, too. Unless you have a good reason not to, use a chronological resume. You don't want to confuse your reader, and you don't want prospective employers to think you’re trying to hide something if you’re not.

Today we’re going to discuss the functional resume. In summary, the functional resume format allows you to group your work experience, qualifications, and accomplishments together. For some, this makes for a stronger resume. For example, skills and experience are grouped together in order to highlight strengths and minimize weaknesses. All of this arranging and regrouping is done in an attempt to make the resume more persuasive to potential employers. You can find examples of functional resumes by putting this term into any online search engine. I will also be adding examples of functional resumes, in addition to chronological and combined resumes, to this website.

The major difference between a functional resume and a chronological one is that a functional resume is divided into types of experience, and then any positions you held with that type of related experience are briefly listed beneath. The names of the companies and the dates of employment are downplayed in a functional resume. Types of experience are highlighted instead.

Functional resumes are usually preferred by individuals who have noticeable gaps in employment history. In order to make their work experience appear more consistent, they employ a functional resume format. This is not always successful, though, because employers are aware that this occurs. That is why functional resumes are sometimes viewed with skepticism by employers. They may wonder what the candidate is trying to hide by regrouping his or her experience instead of presenting it chronologically.

Functional resumes are sometimes used by people whose work history does not match their current career goals. By regrouping experience, it allows the job seeker to present his or her experience in a way that skills that may be transferable can be showcased as opposed to particular positions. This is one of the advantages of a functional resume format. Going along with this same idea, individuals who do not have much experience with regard to a prospective position often use a functional resume.

A major drawback of the functional resume is that it’s almost like looking at a picture, but not really seeing it. While the chronological resume is clear, the functional one is not. Just when you think you've figured out where someone worked and for how long, you realize you don't really know. While the functional resume is often preferred for those switching careers, most job seekers will find the chronological resume most effective.

Check out our Cover Letters page if you need a cover letter to accompany your resume.

You’re called into your boss’s office and told your position has been eliminated due to budget issues. Or, you’re told your contract will not be renewed once it’s up. In either case, you’re facing a job loss. Here are some strategies to come up on top.

If you’re told a few months ahead of time, you have time to prepare. If you own a home and have equity in it, you should look into a home equity line of credit. Mary Ellen was told in late February that her position would be eliminated at the end of her contract (which was late August). She had about six months to prepare.

Mary Ellen and her husband had enough equity in their house (what the current value of the house is minus what they owed on their mortgage) to get a $75,000 home equity line of credit. This allowed them to pay off all credit cards, car loans, and other outstanding debts. The home equity loan cost them about $300 a month, but saved them about $2000 a month in car and credit card payments. This $1700 monthly savings allowed them to survive her unemployment period and saved them the stress that would have occurred had they not done the line of credit.

Depending on your credit and current market conditions, lines of credit usually have good interest rates of 7% or so and many times the interest on them is tax deductible (this depends on several factors so talk to your tax advisor or accountant first). Remember, though, that you are putting your house on the line if you can’t make the line of credit payments so this shouldn’t be taken lightly – make sure you can make that monthly payment! You should also get a line of credit with as low an interest rate as possible and low fees (no closing costs, etc.). Find a line of credit where the variable interest rate can be converted to a fixed interest rate in case you need to do so in the future (like if interest rates start climbing).

To qualify for the loan, Mary Ellen and her husband needed both of their incomes. That’s why, if you are expecting a job loss or it’s a possibility, get that line of credit set up before you are unemployed. You don’t need to use the line of credit until you need it. You probably won’t qualify once one of you is jobless.

You may be able to collect unemployment insurance through your state after your job ends. Check out the internet for specific information on unemployment claims and unemployment benefits. If your eligible for unemployment the only thing you have to do is apply for unemployment. You can file for unemployment online in some cases. There may be an unemployment office near you. The money won’t replace your salary, but it will definitely help to bridge the gap. Make sure you check out all the rules and regulations about collecting unemployment so you fully understand your responsibilities.

You should try to lower all of your monthly obligations. You can often get out of a cell phone contract if you call up, ask to talk to a manager, and explain that you’ve lost your job and can no longer afford to pay on the contract. My wife got out of her contract without paying anything by doing this. I was able to save hundreds on our car insurance by switching to an online car insurance company. Look around and see what’s out there – all these companies are competing for business now. Cancel any subscriptions you can (some services you may have signed up for may be able to be cancelled if you call and cancel them). A great way to do this is to take each bill as it comes in and see how it can be lowered or cancelled. You should also check out each credit card statement that arrives to see if you are being charged monthly for something you signed up for but forgot about or can do without.

You can save on electric by unplugging anything not in use (anything plugged in is using electricity – even if it’s not “ON”). Cut way back on use of your dryer. An electric dryer uses a huge amount of electricity whereas lights are pretty cheap. So, you can put your clothes in the dryer for a few minutes to get the lint off them, and then hang items on plastic coat hangers (hung on your shower rod) or hang on a wooden clothes rack (or two).

You likely won’t need any childcare or daycare if you’re unemployed, so that’s a savings. The purchase of clothes and groceries can really be cut back. Only buy clothes when they need to be replaced, and plan meals and bring a list to the grocery store. You can save hundreds this way. Additionally, if you make soups and casseroles you’ll save money on groceries. They are far cheaper to make and go farther than normal meals. Check out some of the frugal websites on the internet for lots of ideas about saving money.

Finally, brush up your resume (or you may need to create a new one if it has been a while) so you're ready to look for a new job. You can check out the resumesection for more information on how to do this.

A job loss can be upsetting, but how you respond to it is most important. You can rise to the challenge, use your brains and skills to improve your situation, and find a new and better job for the future. Best of luck to you.

Other than interviews, one of the most challenging areas of a job search can be references. How to write a references page, references style, and references format are all common questions. First of all, you want business references (people you have worked for) as opposed to personal references (people you know personally, like friends, who can vouch for your character). The only time you would use a personal reference is if you had no business references (like when you start your first job). If you are just starting out with no business experience, you should use professors, teachers, or business people you have known for a while (such as a friend of your parent that has known you since you were a child).

Your last option would be your personal friends (if you have no professors, teachers, or business professionals to use as a personal reference). For any of these, you can put their name (after asking them) on a list of references or get a letter of reference or recommendation form them. Depending on the relationship, this would be referred to as a personal reference letter (or letter of personal reference) or a business job reference letter.

In case the person doesn't know how to write a reference letter or needs help writing a reference, the format for a reference letter is as follows: First paragraph says you are writing a reference for (name the person) and how long you've known this person. Second paragraph states good qualities about the person (always on time, efficient, courteous, dependable, etc.). Also give examples of how you realized these qualities (John worked for me for three years and was never late). Last paragraph should say "If you have any questions regarding this recommendation, please feel free to call me at 123-456-7890". Then close with Sincerely, and your name.


Provided you've been out in the workforce for a while, you should be able to come up with three business references. The best references are people who have actually supervised you (and will have nice things to say about you). Next, if there are supervisors you know at your company that you don't actually work for, but who are somewhat familiar with you and your work. Of course, you always ask a person if you can use them as a reference prior to doing so. It would also be helpful to get a letter of reference (also called a letter of recommendation) from each if possible.

The next source of business references would be any business people you have done work for (for example, if you have done any work on the side such as setting up a person's website, writing their resume, etc.). Next, you would go to coworkers - not the best reference because a reference should be a supervisor or someone you've worked for, but a coworker is better than nothing. Again, remember to ask them first (and pick someone who can be professional and say positive things about you).

If your supervisor is retiring, by all means congratulate them on that and ask if you could possibly use them as a reference in the future. A student just asked me that again the other day.
I would not suggest using your current supervisor as a reference because this will let them know that you are seeking another position (which could put your current job in jeopardy). For example, if lay-offs are required in the future, you might be high on the list. You should use previous supervisors as references instead.

You shouldn't use references that are very old if it can be avoided. Someone you worked for fifteen years ago probably isn't the kind of reference a prospective employer is looking for. Use references you've worked for in the last five years. The exception here is if you've been with a company for ten years, you will need to go back that far to come up with a past supervisor.

My final comment on references is that you don't need to put "References Available Upon Request" or any other such statement on your resume. Employers know that if they require references (and most do), you will have to provide them. Otherwise, someone else will be hired. Use all the space on your resume to highlight your strengths instead.

The day has arrived - the all important interview. But maybe you're not sure how to job interview. What do you do at a job interview? Here's some job interview tips to get you through. First of all, I'm sure you know to dress in appropriate business attire. This generally means a suit for men (depending upon the occupation), and a suit (slacks or skirt) and blouse for women. Women should always wear hosiery for an interview as opposed to bear legs. Sensible shoes should be worn as you never know how much of a tour you're going to get. You should bring a briefcase, which has a folder in it containing five to ten copies of your resume. If you have reference letters, you can bring copies of them as well.

Here are some common job interview questions:

Job Interview Question 1:

Why should we hire you for this position?

Job Interview Question 2:

How are you qualified for this position?

Job Interview Question 3:

Why do you want to work for XYZ company?

Job Interview Question 4:

What do you know about XYZ company?

Job Interview Question 5:

What did you like about your last position?



Prior to the interview, you should have done internet searches on the company you are interviewing with as part of your job search strategy. By typing the company name into search engines, you can find all kinds of information about the company such as headquarters info, products or services, goals of the company, a list of the board of directors, news stories related to the company and industry, etc. You want to be well-informed when you go as job interviews can sometimes be nerve-wracking.

Arrive fifteen minutes early for the interview. This means, you should give yourself lots of extra time as you most likely won't be familiar with directions, parking, finding the office you need to, etc. You should walk in the door 15 minutes before the interview, introduce yourself to the assistant or receptionist, and use the restroom to freshen up and pull yourself together.

Attitude is most important in an interviewing situation. You must be confident in your demeanor. If you aren't sure you're the right person for the job, why would they be? They will pick up on it if you aren't sure. You need to go into an interview thinking this job is mine. Use a firm handshake (not too hard), smile a lot, have a positive attitude, and be friendly. In addition to being the most qualified, you also want to be someone that the people at the company would enjoy working with. Don't be too serious, but don't be too jovial. You need to have a good balance for a good job interview.

Stay calm - if you're asked a question you aren't sure how to answer, give yourself a moment to think about it. Don't panic - this isn't life and death. No one I know likes job interviews. Just give the best answer you can come up with in a calm, confident manner and leave it at that. That's the best you can do. When you leave, thank them for their time, tour, etc. Say it was nice to meet them, and express your interest in the position.

After the interview, send a thank you note to whomever interviewed you. Again, say how much you enjoyed meeting them, thank them for showing you around and introducing them to staff members, and again express your interest in the position. You can say something to the effect that "After spending time with you the other day and learning more about the position, I'm very interested in working for (the company name). This note will show you're a polite person, thoughtful, prompt, and someone who pays attention to detail. That just may make the difference.

After you’ve written your resume and cover letter, come up with references, and brushed up on your interviewing skills, you decide to get serious about your job search. Here are some steps you can take to get the job done and make your job searches more productive. If you specifically need an executiveresume, check out our executive resume tips section.

Make a list of twenty employers in your area that you would like to work for. As part of your online job search, visit each of their websites, taking note of any position openings listed on their corporate site. Usually job openings, or vacancies, are listed under sections labeled About Us, or Human Resources, or Job Opportunities. If you can’t easily find the right section, you can sometimes use the search engine on the site to locate job openings at the company.

Apply for any appropriate openings. As part of your local job search, call Human Resources or Personnel at companies you’re interested in. Many times the staff in HR may know about openings not listed yet. This can sometimes be a great job search shortcut. The HR people can be very helpful (it’s their job to help people who are interested in working for their company). If they can’t be of assistance over the telephone, they will likely refer you to their website to view current vacancies.

Come up with a list of all your networking contacts. This should include anyone you know in your industry. You can also include names of relatives or friends who may have contacts at various companies (especially at any of the twenty employers on your first list). You can call or e-mail your contacts to let them know you are looking for a new position. See if any of them know anyone that works for the companies on your list. Word of mouth is very important in a job search. You never know who may know about an opening in your industry.

Use the internet to visit job search sites and/or job search engines. Come up with a list of job search engines that you can check daily. They usually allow you to put in your city and state or zip code so you can limit your search to your geographic area. You can pull up job openings by location or industry. Most sites allow you to search by keywords as well. There are lots of job search websites so you should have no difficulty - some of these sites are called banks so you may want to also do an internet search on job bank search.

Job searches can seem overwhelming. It’s best to come up with a specific plan like the one outlined here. Begin working the plan a day at a time. Divide your job search up into small steps that you complete one by one. Stay organized and keep notes on where you’ve applied, names of people you’ve talked to, etc. If you stay focused with your eye on the prize, you’ll find that position you’re looking for in no time.

If you need an executive level resume, there are some important tips that you need to know. First of all, like a CV, your resume should be several pages. This is in direct opposition to a normal resume that should be one page if at all possible. Length will vary depending on how long you’ve been in the work force, how many positions you’ve held, etc. If you don't have a resume, you can peruse the No Resume section.

Like a normal resume, your executive resume needs to include a list of the positions you have held, companies you’ve worked for, and most importantly, your accomplishments in addition to job responsibilities. You should quantify information whenever possible. For example, the number of employees you were responsible for, the approximate amount of the budget you handled, etc.

Performance is of major importance to companies hiring executives. Because of this, your executive resume must fully express all of your accomplishments in detail (another reason your resume needs to be longer than usual). For a high level resume, the work history portion is of the most importance.

For resume preparation, you should hire a person or company that specializes in executive resumes. These resumes are a different breed than a normal resume so you definitely do not want an amateur preparing it. Interview the person who will be preparing your resume, find out about their philosophy on executive resumes, how many executive resumes they have prepared and the results of their efforts. Ask to see sample executive resumes they have prepared.

You aren’t off the hook here – no one knows your career better than you do. You are the one who’ll be providing the information to the resume writer or resume writing service. You should make a list of each employer, your position, job responsibilities, accomplishments, your education, and any other information that will assist your executive resume writer.

Your resume preparer shouldn’t just format the information you have given him or her. They should be able to make suggestions and improvements above and beyond the information you have provided. If they are not able to do so, quickly hire a more experienced resume writer – one who has really written executive resumes in the past.

An executive resume is the crème de la crème of all resumes – you’ve worked hard to get to the level you’re currently at. Don’t disable yourself by having a less than stellar resume. You’ll probably have to pay several hundred or more dollars to have your resume created, but it will be well worth the investment in your career. Find a great executive resume writer, do all the work to provide him or her with detailed information about your career accomplishments, and you’ll be well on your way to your new executive position.

If you’re looking for a job, you need a resume. Here’s some basic resume information if you have “no resume”.

Tips for Job Seekers with No Resume

A resume is a document, usually one page, that contains contact information (name, address, phone number, e-mail), Education history, and Work History in a short paragraph form. Employers quickly look over all resumes submitted for a job opening in order to pick the best prospective employees to interview (those which most closely meet the requirements in terms of education and experience for the position).

You can find resume examples, proper resume wording, resume assistance, and resume preparation services by professional resume writers on the internet. A professional resume writer can offer you help with resume. You can have a friend who is a business person do a resume review for you, looking over the resume you’ve created to see if it is professional and will be effective in getting interviews for you. A resume review is also sometimes available from a professional resume writer.

If, after looking over resume samples and resume examples, you don’t feel that you can create a professional, objective resume for yourself, you would be better off hiring a person to write a resume for you. This may cost you anywhere from $20 to a few hundred dollars, however, that’s a small price to pay for a job that brings in thousands of dollars a year. Also, after you have an initial resume, you can always add to it and make updates yourself if necessary.

No resume, no problem. You can use the internet to find resume examples and resume samples to write a resume yourself, or better yet, you can easily find someone in your area or on the internet to create an effective resume for you. Having no resume may seem like a big obstacle (and it is) but it is a problem that is easily solved.

You need a resume and you need it fast - really fast.  One option is to look up resume examples on the internet to use in order to create your own unique resume.  If you have a particular position in mind (say you are looking for a job as a bank teller) then you can even look for resume examples for that job.  In google or another search engine, type in: resume bank teller or bank teller resume.  If there are resumes for that particular position on the web - as example resumes - they should come up in this search.  You could do this for teacher resume examples, marketing resume examples, engineer resume examples, etc.  Once you find one you like, use that format and fill in your own information such as name, address, work history, etc.  You will need a word processing software such as Microsoft Word to do your actual resume based on the resume example you've found on the net.

Resume templates are another option to whip up a quick resume.  By the way, if you have some time, you should spend it on perfecting a resume for the position or types of jobs you are looking for.  But in this case, you need a resume fast.  Use a search engine such as google and type in: resume templates.  A resume template is a program that allows you to type in your info (the template will ask you for your first name, last name, address, work history, etc. and automatically fill it into an already created format and then spit out a resume once you've put all the information into the resume templates).  So, this is a better option if you are unable to create or type up your own resume in Microsoft Word or another word processor.

Resume examples and resume templates certainly have their place in a job search if you need a resume fast.  For example, if you filled out a job application and are called in for an interview, you should show up with a resume.  This will make you look much more organized and professional than other candidates.  By looking at resume examples on the web, you can see what a resume for your type of desired position should look like.  The more sample resumes you look at, the better idea you'll have of what your resume should look like.  Resume templates are fast and easy in that they allow you to fill in simple information and end up with a formatted resume - especially helpful if you aren't experienced with wordprocessing software.

Career builders are ways in which you can progress to the next level in your career. You need to continue to build your education base - what you know about your chosen career - in order to keep pace or do even better than your colleagues. Continuing Education is a real career builder. Being up-to-date and knowing the latest innovations, techniques, and processes will definitely give you a leg up. Every opportunity you have to learn more about your profession - do it! You won't regret anything you do to build your career.

Another career builder is keeping pace with computer literacy and continually changing technology. Do you want to be labeled an old irrelevant employee? You need to be able to use e-mail, Microsoft Word, and any computer systems related to your field. Have you ever heard of Twitter? You can bet your younger colleagues have.

One of the most important career builders is networking. You need to rub elbows with not only the people in your company who can help to build your career but also any other people in your field or industry who you should know. You never know when you may need a new job. You should have contacts, acquaintances, and especially friends who can help you out. You can smooze with your company employees by attending company functions, christmas parties, join the guys for golf or drinks after work (not too many). You can meet and exchange business cards with other people in your industry or field by attending conferences. Attending seminars and conferences can be a career builder in two ways - you will increase your knowledge base and meet people in your industry.

Obviously, the best career builder is to work hard, do your best work, be reliable and personable. Without being annoying, make sure your bosses and coworkers know about the work you've been doing so you can get credit for what you've done. If you want those promotions, you have to put in the elbow grease to earn them. People in any company can tell you who the stars are and who are the slackers. Be a star!