In today's tough economic climate, the competition for jobs
is fierce indeed, which is all the more reason we need to
be using effective resume writing strategies that work!

Here, we are not going to show you how to put your resume
together; instead, we will share five excellent resume
writing tips that you can use.

Tip #1: Know the job and company you are targeting.

Do your research before you start or update your resume.
Look up the company you are applying to, and learn
everything you can about it. Search online, talk with
people in the industry, and make notes. Learn their mission
statement, what their goals are, and how they are perceived
in the community.

Notice that when you are researching the company, you are
likely to see a few things or facts that stand out or are
repeated. Also, this type of research could bring issues to
the surface that you might not have noticed or learned
about earlier. In fact, you might also uncover some
information that might make you uncomfortable about the
company, showing you that they may not be a good fit for
you. Remember, even though you are focusing on their needs,
and how you can benefit them, using effective resume
writing strategies means that it has to feel good to you,
too!

When you are armed with plenty of information about the
company and the job that you're targeting, you can begin to
formulate some key phrases that you will use in your
resume, whether it's in a qualification or an
accomplishment.

Tip #2: Talk their talk.

In other words, use language in your resume that the
company and industry uses. Don't go overboard on jargon,
but using industry terminology further shows the company
that you know what you're talking about.

This can be a very valuable tip if you are posting your
resume online. It is possible that an employer might search
candidates using specific keywords and keyword phrases -
and if you have these in your resume, this could help bring
your resume to the top of the pile.

Word of warning: Use keywords and keyword phrases
judiciously. Don't overuse them, otherwise you could be
perceived as "keyword spamming.Just use them where
appropriate, in a natural manner. A good rule of thumb is
that one keyword or keyword phrase for every 100 words of
text should be fine.

Tip #3: Prepare your resume so that it targets one job and
one company.

Thanks to the marvels of word processing, it is relatively
easy to tailor your resume to the job and company your are
targeting. If you are sending out 5 resumes to 5 different
employers, make sure each resume is specific to each
company. You can do this by putting a simple addition to a
summary statement, such as: "How I Can Help ABC Company's
Finance Department.. ." or some such statement.

Specifically mentioning the job and company in your resume
will set you apart. The employers will see that you spent
time focusing on them. These are not only effective resume
writing strategies, but strategies that also show employers
that you are different. You really care. You really do want
to join their team! You look like a winner!

Word of warning: Be double sure, no... make that triple
sure that you carefully review every resume you send out to
ensure that you are matching your resume to the right
company!

Tip #4: Highlight critical and important information.

It is perfectly acceptable to highlight information that
you want to be sure your reader sees. Consider that you
only have a few seconds to get someone's attention on your
resume, and that someone is likely only scanning through at
first. Knowing that, if, in your accomplishments, for
example, you state that you have managed 35 accounts worth
$1.2MM each, you might want to highlight it by either bold
facing it, underlining it, or italicizing it, thereby
increasing the odds that the reader sees it.

Therefore, the wording would be: "Managed 35 accounts worth
$1.2MM each..." with it either boldfaced, italicized or
underlined. I prefer underlining, but do what feels best to
you.

Tip #5: Make sure that your resume reflects the job and
salary you want.

I shudder when I see resumes that downplay the individual.
It's almost never intentional, but it is very common to see
someone (especially younger, more inexperienced workers)
say something like this: "Seeking an Entry Level Position
in Marketing."

How terrible! That statement tells the employer that the
job seeker is only worth about $10 per hour (or less), even
if the position is slated to pay $20 per hour. It also
sends a message - even if it's an unconscious message -
that the worker is 1) inexperienced, 2) not confident, and
3) not qualified.

Don't let your resume give the impression that you aren't
worth the $20 per hour that you know the job should pay!

So, how do you word your summary statement or title at the
top of the resume? Even if you are not terribly experienced
or somewhat new to the job force, accentuate what great
benefits you have that you're offering the company! Don't
be timid, or afraid to flex your muscle!

Using the previous example, try this: "Seeking to use my
skills and knowledge to help ABC Company's Marketing
Department.. ."

Or, for example, let's say you have 5 years of sales
experience, and your best quarter was when you sold
$200,000 worth of services to 5 different accounts.

You wouldn't want to state that you were "seeking a sales
position." Instead, try this:

"Looking to join the ABC Company's sales team where my
previous high-volume sales experience will benefit your
bottom line..." and underneath that statement, you might
highlight: "Sold $200K to 5 accounts within first quarter
of 2009."

Of course there are countless other effective resume
writing strategies you could use during your job search -
far more than we have room for here! But these should get
you started on the right foot!

Have you ever sat down with someone and asked, "How do I
write a cover letter to get more interviews?" If so, what
was the person's reaction? Although it is becoming a better
known part of the job seeker toolkit today, the idea of
cover letter writing as a means of getting job interviews
was largely ignored by many.

Although as a rule, we've given most of the attention to
resume development - and rightfully so - the art of cover
letter writing has not been as well developed. Until now!

We now understand the importance of writing a good cover
letter in getting job interviews. Here's why:

If your cover letter does not catch the reader's attention
right away - even before getting to your resume - you have
just missed out on an important part of the equation. You
MUST get and hold the hiring director's attention right
away - within the first critical seconds he or she picks up
your cover letter! Therefore, asking "How do I write a
cover letter to get more interviews?" is one of the
smartest questions you can have.

To get - and hold your reader's attention, a good cover
letter should contain the two following important
components:

1) A salutation directed to a real person. In other words,
no more "To whom it may concern," or "Dear Hiring
Director." Because you now know the importance of cover
letter writing to get more interviews, the days of the
bland salutation are gone forever!

Instead, you will make sure that you know precisely who
your cover letter is going to. Right? Right! And how will
you get that information? If it isn't listed in the job
posting or otherwise found in your research on the company,
you will find it by calling the company and asking!

That's right! It's really that simple. You don't have to
worry about a "gate keeper" not allowing you to speak with
the person - all you want is the person's name. You can
tell the gate keeper that you are just doing the best job
you can to ensure that your job application cover letter
goes to the right person. All you need is the appropriate
person's name, correct spelling (don't forget that one!),
and title.

2) The other important component of your cover letter is a
powerful opening line or statement that lets the company
know exactly why you are the best person for the job. For
this example, let's pretend that you want a sales rep
position at a computer software firm. Instead of the usual:
"I am enclosing my resume herein as my application for the
position I noted in yesterday's Reporter News," (which -
even if YOU aren't yawning as you read that - will
certainly have your READER yawning), you want excitement,
conviction, and energy in your words!

See how this sounds in comparison: "Your need for an
energetic representative to help Ajax Software's sales
efforts came through loud and clear to me. Here are 2
primary reasons why I believe I am the perfect candidate
for the sales rep position..." and then below, you can
explain what those 2 compelling reasons may be!

So, if you have been asking "How do I write a cover letter
to get job interviews?" then applying these 2 points alone
in your job application cover letter, along with the
confidence and knowledge that you have exactly what the
company needs will instantly improve your cover letter
writing abilities and bring you to the top of the resume
heap!

And because you are writing a good cover letter that grabs
someone's attention right away, you have already received a
"gold star" in the reader's mind and you are one step
closer to getting job interviews!