The Elements of Resume Style The Elements of Resume Style The Elements of Resume Style

Elements of Resume Style Elements of Resume Style Elements of Resume Style Elements of Resume Style

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Paperback · 5 1/2 x 8 1/4 · 128 pages · 0-8144-7280-X Now available online and at bookstores everywhere from American Management Association's AMACOM Books. Ask for it! It’s amazing — the myths one can find in some résumé books. Have the authors of those books hired hundreds of people in a variety of industries? Scott Bennett has, and he knows what kinds of résumés catch the eye of employers — and spark their interest. In The Elements of Résumé Style, Bennett explains why some of the most popular “tricks” backfire more often than they work, and offers clear, smart strategies for creating résumés and cover letters that get people jobs. From entry-level to executive, use this invaluable guide and: · See every element of your résumé and cover letter from the employer’s perspective · Avoid the errors most candidates make · Get maximum impact from your 8 -10 seconds of reader eyeball time · Ask the crucial questions as you write and before you send · Create compelling examples of the skills you can bring to bear anywhere · Handle employment gaps, job-hopping, and other touchy subjects honestly and effectively · Write cover letters that stand out, and learn the untapped power of the inquiry letter · Target effectively for maximum response from the right employers. 1,400+ Sample Action Words, Action Statements, and Position Descriptions/Blurbs 200+ Vague Claims to Avoid and 500+ More Words and Phrases to Avoid Sample Résumé Format, Sample Response Letter, Sample Inquiry Letter Sample Informational Interview Request Letter Sample Response to Request for Salary Requirements Sample Salary History, Sample References The battle for jobs is tighter than ever. The Elements of Résumé Style can help you make sure your first salvo is as powerful and on-target as possible. Order ^{The Elements of Résumé Style} Scott Bennett has read tens of thousands of résumés, conducted thousands of interviews, and hired and developed hundreds of employees at all levels in small, mid-size, and large organizations. In 1996, he transitioned from his role as President and Chief Operating Officer of Public Service Computer Software, Inc., into career coaching. Individually and in seminars and workshops, he has coached more than 4,000 job seekers from more than 100 countries. After launching the Career Services Office at Baruch College School of Public Affairs in New York City, he developed click4careercoaching.com to provide free information, tools, and resources for active career seekers. What Advance Readers are Saying Why It's Different from Every Other Résumé Book Read More About the Author Preview Table of Contents

1. As an employer, if you receive 200 résumés for an open position, maybe 10 are error-free (if you're lucky). The rest are discarded.

2. Of the 10 without errors, only around five will be clear, focused, and well-targeted. These five or so folks get called for interviews.

3. What's the lesson from 1 and 2? An error-free, clear, focused, and well-targeted résumé places you ahead of most other candidates.

4. A long cover letter is often interpreted to mean, "The following résumé may not be too clear, so here are the important things from it I'd like you to know." Is this an admission you want to make? Instead, have a clear and focused résumé, so your cover letter need not be a novel. Less is more. Your cover letter needs only to capture and express your enthusiasm, getting the reader to look at your résumé.

5. A summary at the top of a résumé is often interpreted to mean, "My résumé is kind of long and tedious. Here are the highlights, so you need not read the whole thing." Your résumé is a summary.

6. Your résumé is not intended to list everything you did at every position. Employers know this. It is a top-line, highlights kind of document intended to quickly give the reader an honest sense of your skills, where you've been, and where you're going. It's not a job description. It's not an autobiography. If it gets your phone to ring, it has done its job well.

7. No one is hired simply to read cover letters and résumés. Everyone who reads these items has other work to do. If you're lucky, your résumé will get around 10 seconds of eyeball time. Direct these eyeballs carefully. Use your 10 seconds well.

9. Many talented, full-blown adults graduated from college before last Thursday. If you graduated in 1962, say it. Do you think the reader won't do the math some other way or won't figure it out when you meet? Don't hide your history. Your story is your story. Write it proudly.

10. Write like you speak. For example, write "use," not "utilize." (If you really say "utilize," cut it out.)

11. Some folks mistakenly think colored papers, lots of underlining, bold, italics, CAPITAL LETTERS, and silly combinations of THESE will get a reader's attention. The truth is, when we accentuate everything (or too much), we accentuate nothing. I've been asked, "If I don't use these tricks, what will get their attention?" Your content (i.e., your properly positioned skills and experiences) will get their attention. Content sells.

12. Often, candidates will include a long list of software skills on their résumé and then send their cover letter and résumé in a handwritten envelope. Learn to print an envelope. It will make your software claims a lot more credible.

13. Clarity is excellence. If you remember only one thing from this list, please remember this: Think of the reader. Think of the reader. Think of the reader.

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