As always, I'm delighted to send you this months new newsletter; I am sure you'll find the subjects interesting and the content useful. There is quite a lot to read this month so... take your time and enjoy!

Make sure to take a look at the special Christmas offer - only available until Christmas Eve - at the foot of this newsletter.

DON'T FORGET - You can still claim your free 7-part email course 'Get Your Dream Job in Only 90 Days' right here.

I know many of you will be getting over Thanksgiving and lots of us are looking forward to Christmas but don't let that stop you from thinking more about how yo can retake control of where your career is going and what you should be doing about it.

If its not as good as you know it could be, use my guidance and take the first steps to complete your career change.

If you like this e-zine, which I sincerely hope you will, why not do a friend and me a big favour and "pay it forward", e-mail it to a friend and let them have the benefit as well.

Did you receive this newsletter from a friend, if so and you like what you've seen, subscribe yourself by visiting my Careers Update page where you can sign up for your own FREE copy.

In recent issues we covered:

• The Interview;
• Dealing with Interview Nerves;
• Assessment Centres;
• Psychometric Tests;
• Body Language;
• What do you look like?
• Presentations;
• Assert yourself and how to
• Avoid Your CV Ending Up in the Bin
• Put Yourself Back in the Driving Seat
• Commando Tactics for Job Hunters

Just follow the link at the bottom of this newsletter if you want to check out the back-issues

And the whole of this month's issue is devoted entirely to the most important issue of getting the most important Career Change document - your CV or Resume - absolutely right.

Follow these guidelines to be sure your CV or Resume is the best it can be.

Answering all the questions

When responding to an advert, it is too easy to avoid answering the questions because you know (!) you can do the job.

Waiting until you get to the interview to show them how good you are is a much too risky tactic.

Read between the lines of the advert and identify the employer's subtle requests. What personal qualities is the company looking for?

What skills are identified as essential?

What factual information has been requested? Identify the employer's requirements not yours.

Does your CV answer the how, what, where and when questions? If not it will be put to one side so try to make sure yours is the best there is! Make good use of my CV and resume builder to be sure.

Layout and Content

How long is your CV?

Your CV and resume builder demonstrates that ideal length is two to three pages and no more than one page for the covering letter.

One page of useful and relevant information is worth far more than two or more pages of detail which can conceal what they’re looking for.

With the limited time they allow to read the CV you must make it easy for the reader to find what they need. Most recruiters only scan the CV initially for about 10 seconds – if they don’t see what they want you’re out of the game.

Get your information in the right order

The first page is the most important part of the CV. The reader needs to see immediately what you have to offer and how they can get hold of you.

What skills have you put up for sale on your CV?

Have you clearly identified your level of expertise and competence?

A short section of “Key Skills & Achievements” can cover a lot of ground for you.

Have you done everything you can to convince and reassure your reader that an investment in your skills is a good choice?

If you have an impressive but meaningless job title – change it to convey its real meaning. At interview you can explain “my actual job title was…”

Too many job hunters hide their contact details at the end of the CV and others often omit details like age and marital status.

The sell is vital in terms of CV writing so use the tips here in the CV and resume builder and make sure that your CV is the one they want to read.

Going on about your education

How long is your education section? Do you doubt your skills and expertise so much that you have listed out every qualification you have ever gained?

Have you gone down to minute details such as your driving licence and your piano examinations?

Qualifications are vital because they help to convince the reader of your credentials but you have to remember that employers are looking as well for candidates who possess commercial awareness.

So keep this section to the factual details and demonstrate your commercial value in the skills and capability section. Otherwise just give the qualification gained, the educational establishment and the date.

The emphasis is always on what you have achieved and not on the date.

Hobbies and Interests

Hobbies don't need to go on your CV. Why would your employer be interested anyway?

Leave the hobbies section off the CV but make sure that your CV has a personality. You don't want to worry the reader with the impression that you will have to take some days off work occasionally to recover from a personal injuries incurred through your weekend sporting activities!

Try This Layout for Recommended CV and Resume Approach

Profile

An enthusiastic and successful sales professional used to delivering excellent customer service and exceeding sales targets through the management of a defined area, and key accounts management.

Key skills

• Ability to meet deadlines and prioritise whilst maintaining consistently high standards.

• Proactive and tenacious approach to projects and challenges.

• Adept problem-solver

• Excellent written English, with experience in copy writing and Standard Operating Procedures.

• Computer literate, keen to embrace new technology.

Career Summary (most recent first)

Company Name Limited dates right-hand margin 2001 - Present

Job Title (Also give dates if more than one job for this company)

Define and state the purpose of your job (i.e. Why are you there? Why do they employ you?) At what level or to whom do you report? Add any extra responsibility such as budgets or managing a number of people.

Achievements

• State these in terms of what you actually did or achieved

• Use an active verb in the past tense to show completion

• Quantify numerically wherever possible

• Note prizes or awards made to you personally

• Write these points to show that you actually fulfil the purpose of your job (as above)

Company Name Limited right-hand margin dates 1997 – 2001

Job Title (Also give dates if more than one job for this company)

State the purpose of your job (i.e. Why are you there?) At what level or to whom do you report? Add any extra responsibility such as budgets or managing a number of people.

Achievements as above

Now repeat as above for all the jobs you’ve had but employers are mainly interested in what you’ve done recently, so reduce the amount of information as you go back in time. Only when you’ve completed the above should you add education, qualification and personal details. Do not include hobbies or the names of referees.

Education & Qualifications OND Business Studies Maidenhead College of Further Education 3 ‘A’ Levels, General Principles of English Law, English & Economics RSA Typewriting Intermediate, Advanced (Dist) 7 ‘O’ Levels Maidenhead High School for Girls

Software Skills & Training Windows NT, Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, Publisher). GroupWise, Internet

Personal Details Date of Birth: 8 August 1954 Status: Married, 2 adult children Driving: Full clean licence

If you follow this CV and Resume approach you’ll quickly build a CV that demands the right attention and one that gets you results. If you'd like some more help Your CV Coach is waiting to hear from you.

Favourite Quotes of the Month

"You don't write because you want to say something' you write because you've got something to say."

~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."

~ Mark Twain

"Proofread carefully to see if you any words out."

~ Author Unknown

CV Writing (or Resume Writing) is Simple, Isn't It?
By Peter Fisher

Lots of successful, intelligent people write their own CVs or resumes every week but usually they are not too well targeted, do not include the most powerful language and keywords, or are poorly organized and excessively wordy.

So its easy to write your CV is it?

All you need are the basic skills and knowledge:

• A clear understanding of what specifically you have to offer;


• Thorough knowledge of your market place and what is wanted;


• An excellent command of the English Language;


• The ability to express your skills in keyword terms that recruiters search for;


• Strong copywriting skills;


• Ruthless editing ability;


• Knowledge of marketing principles;


• Genuine concern for the message the reader will receive;


• Ability to create a high impact CV or resume targeted to your chosen field.

Peter Fisher is Principal of Your CV Coach and Your Career Change, as well as an acknowledged Author and Publisher who has written thousands of CVs for delighted clients. http://www.your-cv-coach.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Fisher

CVs And Resumes Sometimes Just Get In The Way
By Peter Fisher

As a head-hunter and Career Coach I see so many CVs and resumes that look as though they are designed to get in the way of what I (or any other recruiter) might need to know about you the candidate. They vary from pure meaningless waffle without any identifiable facts to lengthy tomes with so much detail they send me to sleep. And I persevere where many others wouldn't bother.

My least favourite CV of recent times was seventeen pages long. The first page had only the candidate's name on it (you know who you are don't you?) and the second page was devoted to a full page head and shoulders photograph. The other 15 were packed full of so much information that I felt I knew his life history.

Most professionals I know would not take the trouble to even read this; someone here seems to need to justify their existence. At this point I lose interest.

Don't do this to yourself!

All the poor recruiter wants to know is: should I interview this candidate?

So make it easy for them to conclude: yes I want to interview this candidate.

That is the sole job of your CV or resume.

So get your information in the right order and keep it brief and relevant. Too much information can disguise all the good things you have to offer, because nobody can find them.

• The first page is the most important part of the CV or resume. The reader needs to see immediately who you are, what you have to offer and how they can get hold of you.

• What specific skills are showcased on your CV or resume?

• Have you clearly identified your level of expertise and competence?

• Have you worked in diferent sectors?

• A short section of “Key Skills & Achievements” can cover a lot of ground for you.

Have you done everything you can to convince and reassure your reader that an investment in your skills is a good choice?

If you have an impressive but meaningless job title – change it to convey its real meaning. At interview you can explain “my actual job title was…”

When you come to laying out your employment history always start with the most recent job - employers take most notice of current skills and experience.

Within each employment section you should include the company name, the dates, your job title (but see above) and two or three lines which describes the purpose of your job. By this I mean why are you employed there at all.

You should then follow this by detailing how you have met that purpose, including achievements and outputs quantified wherever possible. These can of course be simple bullet points of information.

Go back through your history but don't bother too much with what happened more than 10 years ago; with the pace of change much of it may not be too relevant anymore.

For a more comprehensive view of constructing a CV or resume that will not only be read, but also acted upon you should visit my website www.your-career-change.com where you will find guidance in developing what should be included as well as specific examples of CVs you could model yours on.

With his background of over 25 years running businesses, and as a Career Coach and Consultant in many sectors, Peter Fisher is well placed to guide job seekers through the steps needed in order to achieve that all important new position.

As Managing Director of Career Consulting Limited, and previously MD of three recruitment companies, he has personally coached thousands of individuals to career success.

His experience gives you all the essential information to achieve your own success. He is very clear that you shouldn’t be misled by others into thinking of “acing interviews” or “finessing” your way into a business; the most sustainable and fulfilling roles are gained through understanding your own specific needs and creating your strategy accordingly.

For guidance on how you might produce your own CV or resume go to http://www.your-career-change.com/CV-and-Resume-builder.html

Learn more about his comprehensive approach to career change, with every page dedicated to helping serious job -seekers at http://www.your-career-change.com/index.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Fisher

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On-Line Businesses

If you are getting frustrated by a lack of traffic to your own websites - I empathize. I’ve been there.

But I also have something better than empathy: I have found a solution. I can show you exactly how to get masses of traffic to and sales from any site you wish, and once you get going it’s like throwing a switch.

This strategy is called the Content Based Traffic System, and I have seen it used to generate over 5.1 million visitors to Kevin Bidwell’s sites. Each day it automatically brings him several thousand more visitors, so it’s worth learning how he does this.

No matter what you offer on the Web, your site must SELL!

Has your own profitable Web site just been a dream until now? Well, everyone's an expert on something!

Think! Brainstorm a little. Can you offer?

• World-class consulting services on your special area of expertise?

• Special travel services, like bike tours through the Andes?

• Unique info-products, based on knowledge from your job or hobby?

It doesn't matter. Here's the bottom line – this book Make Your Site Sell will show you exactly what to do.

And to learn about filling your site with words that make people want to buy, you should take a look at this book, Make Your Words Sell

This is pretty serious stuff, especially when so many people think... "I Am Not a Writer"

I hope these help you as they are helping me.

Comments, ideas or feedback?

I'd really love to hear from you - just reply to this e-zine and let me know what you think.

Best Regards

Peter

p.s if you haven't yet signed up for your own FREE copy of Careers Update request one now. and I'll make sure you get one.

Disclaimer: As with all advertising, you should examine the opportunities and any claims made thoroughly and take appropriate advice before committing yourself.

7 Steps to Your Career Change Success

To help you make the most of your career change, I've written a book "7 Steps to Your Career Change Success" which you might want to take a quick preview - see the e-book here.

Check out my very special Christmas offer here

And don't forget to claim your 7-part email course 'Get Your Dream Job in 90 Days' - it's FREE and based on my book.

Just claim it here.