Useful Tips on Sending Resume By Email
It is a very common practice these days to invite resumes by email in the appointment advertisements apparently to cut the recruitment time. Although this method of sending resume is quite handy and convenient, it will not fetch you the desired result unless used with proper care.

If you are in the habit of sending resumes by pasting your MS WORD format resumes in your email program, the chances are more that your resumes would be discarded because of the garbled mess that appears on the recipient's computer screen. This is probably due to the incompatible formatting features used in different ends making it cumbersome to read the messages. Although ASCII/PLAIN TEXT messages lack the variety and options available in MS WORD, to provide special effects and formatting, it still continues to be the most reliable means of sending messages because of it's universal acceptability. Here are guidelines for emailing your resume so that you make the best impression and maximize your resume's response rate:

1. Create an ASCII/Plain Text Resume and Cover Letter.
Your ASCII resume will be stripped of formatting enhancements such as bold and underline, so it won't be as attractive as your word-processed resume. However, it will be universally compatible, allowing you to control its appearance. The ASCII file should contain manual line breaks at 65 characters or less.

To convert your file from MS Word: Open your document, go to Edit > Select All and change the font to Courier 12 pt; go to File > Page Setup and change the left and right margins to 1.5.

Go to File > Save As > Under "Save as Type," select "Text Only with Line Breaks." Select "Yes" at the prompt that warns about features being compatible. 3 Close and reopen the file, which now has a text (.txt) extension. Review and clean up your document. Change bullets to asterisks or dashes; ensure that your contact information is in a logical sequence. Add horizontal lines using a series of dashes or asterisks (up to 65 characters) to separate sections, and remove symbols (such as accent marks) that didn't convert properly. 2. Test the File. Open the text file, copy and paste into your email message box and send to yourself and a few friends (preferably ones who use different email programs) to ensure that the text transfers as intended.

3. Select an Email Address to be Used Throughout Your Job Search. Use a personal email address, not one associated with your office, and pick a name that sounds professional.

4. Create the Email Message.
Some employers provide instructions for emailing a resume -- follow these precisely. If no instructions are given, follow these steps:
Open your email program and set your message format to plain text, not HTML. Enter the recipient's address and write a subject line that sells your value and references the position opening or your career objective. Open your ASCII resume and cover letter file. Customize your letter to suit the company and job opening. If you normally use a long cover letter, edit it so that it is brief (a couple of paragraphs). Rename the file for your records. When you are finished editing your letter, copy the text of your resume and cover letter to your clipboard. Place the curser in the email message section and paste your ASCII cover letter and resume. Unless the employer has requested no attachments, attach your virus-free Word resume (.doc or .rtf file). This will accommodate hiring managers who prefer to see a traditional resume. Review your documents to ensure perfection and send your message.

How to prepare a good Cover letter When you apply for a job your resume should invariably be accompanied by a cover letter. The purpose of a cover letter is to set the tone and convince the Employer/HRmanager as to why you should be the most apt candidate for the advertised job. At a time when a small advertisement in the newspapers or other media could attract hundreds of resumes, it is what you write in the cover letter which proves crucial and probably give you an edge over your competitors at the scrutiny stage. If you have not presented your case well in the context of the advertised job, chances are more that your resume end up in the dust bin although you deserved to be in the list.

The first point you should bear in the mind that unlike resume a cover letter can not be made without exactly knowing which company and what post you are applying for. It means cover letters are tailor made to each job advertisement and hence can not be prepared in advance or can not be re-used for more than one job.

To elaborate further a resume is a statement of facts about one's credentials which is more or less static in nature unless some basic facts changes. Whereas Cover letter is more flexible and dynamic. The main objective of the cover letter is to fill the gaps of resume wherever necessary. It is tailor made keeping the requirements of the employer or job description in mind. It should supplement facts and points mentioned in the resume.

Resume should act as a guideline while drafting your cover letter and depending on the requirement of the job for which you are applying, you can either highlight certain traits/achievements on the one hand or leave insignificant points mentioned in the resume on the other hand, to make your case more focused and presentable.

Another striking feature of a cover letter is that it is more of a personalised explanation of facts and even to certain extent exaggeration is also permitted to emphasis certain points. While drafting a cover letter you should use the first person as the author. For example "I HAVE MORE THAN 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY". Whereas a resume is written as if a third person is stating the facts.

In a nut shell ,a good cover letter can give purpose and direction to your resume in terms of the advertised job, when read together with your resume.

How to write Good Resume ?
A resume is said to be the most important document as far as the job seeker is concerned for presenting his credentials to the would be employer. So it is very much essential for every job seeker to understand the features of good resume and master the art of writing a resume. In brief a good resume must have the following features.

1. Informative 2. Well structured 3. Truthful 4. Neatly presented

Here we present few tips for writing a good resume.

Personal Details
Always write reference number/ codes as specified in the advertisement if necessary, enclose your photograph Write your name clearly and boldly. Give your current home address, contact address and telephone number. If you do not have a phone at home and are giving another person's number, write down the timing you are available there and the name of person likely to take the message for you. Give your current office address and phone number. Specify if you can be contacted there or not.

Academic and Technical qualification
Write in reverse chronological order i.e. highest degree first. Avoid holding back any information on percentage/grades, college name, gaps in education etc. It is better to be prepared and assume that the interviewer will ask you about the details in any case.

Other Qualification Write any information on certification such as Microsoft Certification etc. Mention period/ duration of training program attended.

Work History Write down your experience in reverse chronological order Specify period of work accurately If you have worked for many years with the same firm, write a new row for every promotion/ change in work assignment Exclude summer training and short term assignments from work experience If you were employed by a contractor - mention it.

How to write "objective" in your resume?
In your resume, Avoid vague objective statements especially those that mention your interest in a challenging opportunity with potential for growth and advancement. This approach has been overdone and therefore has no real value. Instead write an objective that focuses on a specific job title or occupational field.

Corporate Friendly Resume

FIFTEEN SECONDS To Get Attention!

Did you know that from the time a busy executive picks up a resume to the time he or she puts it down again, the average time elapsed is only about fifteen seconds? That means you can expect a potential employer to spend less than 10 seconds actually concentrating on the main selling points of your resume! Clearly, we do not want him to waste valuable seconds LOOKING for themost important information. Your most important information is your expertise and the contribution which you can make to the reader's company - not your name, address, marital status, interests, date of birth, personal history and the like. In today's fastmoving environment, it is the expertise shown in a resume which attracts attention (NOT the artistic presentation) - providingthe resume can communicate that expertise to the reader at a glance.

Try this simple test. Read your old resume from the top then put it down again after exactly TEN SECONDS. Now, ask yourself this question. "If a complete stranger scanned my resume for those same ten seconds, how much would she know about my skills, would she know exactly what I want to do, and would she be excited about what I can bring to her firm?"

If your answer is "YES", your resume works; or, your Name is well known in the industry and you don't need much help to market your skills. But, if your answer is "NO", now is the time to fix the communications problem. Remember, once your resume leaves your hands it goes out of your control and you have no second chance to make a good first impression. In short, your resume can be the Winner or the Killer in your career search. This is true irrespective of your position in the corporate hierarchy. In this day and age resumes are more than simple career histories. A resume is indicative of the owner's communications skills - a window on his mind!

When people sit down to write a resume they generally put a lot of thought into it and produce a career history which they like and find interesting.

They themselves like! What about their readers?

Imagine this situation:

An eighteen year old student is at university and goes to a carefree party with friends. The party begins on Friday night and finishes late Sunday evening. A few days later, our party-goer sits down to write two letters (home) about his weekend. One is to his Best Friend, and the other is to his Mother.

Do the two letters describe the same weekend? Yes, but if you read both letters you would never know it. Why? Because the two letters were written to satisfy the interests, attitudes and sensitivities of the two readers - not the party- goer. In personal correspondence, a sensitive understanding of the reader's position is natural for most people. Not so in most business writing - like job hunting. Most job searchers write from the "me" position instead of the "you" position. The main reason for this is because it is difficult to put oneself in the shoes of a complete stranger who is working in a company one has never visited.

However, if you were, say, a Financial Manager looking for a job, do you think you need a resume which appeals to you? your spouse? your brother-in-law? your friendly neighbour? your priest? your doctor? or a Typical Vice President of Finance? The answer is obvious. VP Finance, but that is not what most people do. They generally write resumes which look good to people who don't count in the hiring process.

To "Know Your Reader" is more difficult than it seems. It means putting yourself in the shoes of the person who can hire you; and anticipating his or her needs. Nobody else matters! In your case, the reader is the executive or employer who hires people with your skills-set. Although you may not know the reader personally, we definitely know the type of person who is in that position and the contribution which he or she will be looking for from you. That is the key to good resume writing!

Well written resume - A Good Marketing Tool ! for selling your skills
The purpose of a resume is to interest the reader so that he or she invites you to meet. CMS resumes often produce job interviews while traditional "career histories" end up unread in corporate filing cabinets. Why?

Imagine this situation. You are at home looking through your mail. Included in the bundle is an unsolicited, closely typed document which you did not request. It is from a company with a corporate logo which you have never seen before, and they're obviously trying to SELL you something. It is quite a long letter with two or three pages of close typewriting without pictures or diagrams. It looks pretty boring.

QUESTION: Would you read it?

ANSWER: Probably not.

QUESTION: What would you do with it?

ANSWER: Put it in the garbage. Gone!

Imagine that the letter which you just put in the garbage described a special offer about Caribbean holidays. For the next thirty days they were offering a 40% Discount for a week at a certain high quality resort. If you are not interested in taking a holiday in the next thirty days there was nothing lost by putting the letter in the garbage.

However, imagine that you have been seriously thinking about taking time off and been looking for a good holiday deal - without success.

If that were the case, it is unfortunate that you put the letter into the garbage - but of course you are not upset about losing the chance to save 40% because you do not know the chance was thrown away!

Now, imagine that the very next day you receive an advertising flyer from a different travel firm. On the front of the flyer is a beautiful glossy picture of a Caribbean Island with white sands, blue sea, green palm trees and a lovely resort complete with golf course.

QUESTION 1: Would you open the leaflet and read it?

QUESTION II: If you liked what you read - would you explore the offer?

Obviously, most people would answer " yes " to both questions. Quite different from yesterday's mailing! That one is still in the garbage UNREAD. That's too bad. It was offering a better holiday, at a better resort, at a better price on a more beautiful island! The lesson is clear. The better product failed because of an inferior marketing document.

Now change the scene to the corporate office. You are no longer in your kitchen reading personal mail, but in the office dealing with business correspondence. Your In Tray is full. One of the items is a typical two or three page, closely typed resume from a complete stranger, which you did not ask to receive. After one quick glance you know that you have to read at least a page before you will know what that person can do for you. This is a typical day at the office, you are very busy and under pressure to get your own job done and you're definitely not much interested in people you don't know.

QUESTION: Would you read the resume?

ANSWER: No - probably not.

QUESTION: If you did read it, would you go through the process of asking yourself the question "Where would a person like that fit into an organization like ours?"

ANSWER: Probably not!

QUESTION: What would you do with it?

ANSWER: Most people would take the easiest course of action and pass it on to the people in the Human Resources Department!

Now, when the good people in the Human Resources Department receive the resume they will obviously assume that you have already read it, but have no interest in it because you gave them no instructions to contact the applicant. The normal result is that they send the standard rejection letter - although no one in the firm actually read the resume! That is the cycle we want to prevent.

Remember the two holiday mailings? One was successful for obvious reasons, one was unsuccessful for obvious reasons. We must communicate your message to the reader at his or her first glance - and we must identify who that reader is, and anticipate his needs, before we design the resume.

Your clearly defined career goal statement is the equivalent to the picture of the resort on the sales brochure. At the very first glance the reader has to know whether or not there is any interest in your application. If there is immediate interest, the executive will continue to scan your major skills and read a short summary of your history. If he likes what he sees, and there is a real need for your skills in the company at this time or in the immediate future you will be invited for an exploratory interview and your resume will have done its job.