PURSUE JOBS THAT ARE A GOOD FIT

Employers want employees who fit the job.
If your resume (CV) suggests you could be a good fit; you might get an interview.
If your interview suggests you are a better fit than others applying for the job; you are likely to be selected.

First: don’t limit yourself to just looking for jobs that are advertised.
Second: think about the industries and sort of work you have an interest in.
Third: do anything you can do to put your resume in the hands of employers who control the work in which you are interested.

This could involve:

• Sending a job application in response to an advertised job, but also:
• Sending a resume with a covering letter offering your services should any opportunities arise.
• Lodging your resume with an employment agency.

WHAT IS A GOOD FIT FOR YOU?
Answer these key questions:

• What are you passionate about? Hobbies, nature, people, sports, health, business, politics? 
• Do you prefer to work with your hands, with information, or with people?
• Do you prefer predictable or unpredictable tasks?
• Do you prefer to work with simple tasks you can complete each day, or complex tasks that take a long time to complete.
  Pursue jobs that fit with the way you answer these questions.

CONTENTS OF A RESUME
Resume contents should be divided into a series of sections that are logical.
They would usually include 4 sections:
1. Heading
2. Contact details
3. Education
4. Experience

They might also include other sections –

• Objective - career/employment goals (e.g. to work in a job where you can help people or can contribute to improve environments.)
• Interests – hobbies, sports, passions.
• Community service – volunteering, military service, memberships.
• Web sites and social media.
• References – List names and contact details of people who can be contacted to give a reference.

TRAPS TO AVOID
Avoid these things in a Resume:

• Unorganised information.
• Too much information: long paragraphs and long sentences.
• Insufficient information: not enough for you to be evaluated.
• Over emphasising accomplishments – The tone should show your capabilities in a factual, realistic but humble tone but never in a bragging tone.
• Sloppiness – inconsistencies in layout (e.g. some headings in upper and lower case, others all capitals); or pages not stapled together neatly, coffee stain on paper, etc.
• Negativity - avoid using negative words; or bringing attention to your weaknesses.

FORMATTING
There are two acceptable formats for a resume:
1. Chronological, or
2. Functional

Using any other format can make an employer think you are ignorant of normal practice or worse that you might be aware but rebellious and likely to be difficult to control as an employee.
A chronological format, lists positions held in chronological order, starting with the most recent and finishing with your first job.
A functional format organises experience into categories and lists them accordingly perhaps under headings for:

• Different industries (e.g. retailing, farming, construction).
• Different work roles (e.g. office work, sales, labouring).
• Different circumstances (e.g. volunteering, self-employment, trainee).

Most employers prefer the chronological format, but it can have the disadvantage of bringing attention to things which you do not want an employer to be thinking about.
For example: If there are gaps, it can show lengthy periods of unemployment. It can show a tendency to hop between jobs, or career stagnation.

VISUAL APPEARANCE
The visual appearance of a resume counts (a lot!).
The first thing any employer will do with a resume is to give it a quick glance over. If it is has a lot of words that all look the same (same size, same darkness, same colour); nothing will stand out from anything else; so, nothing will immediately take their attention.
If a small number of words are larger, bold (darker), or a different colour; they will be noticed more. Making some key words pop out allows you to catch the employers attention and that might be all that is needed to encourage them to shortlist you when they are overwhelmed by more applications than they have time to read.
Photographs are included on some resumes, but not all. Today, many employers will check the social media accounts of short-listed job applicants for photos and further insights. If you provide a photo, you are taking the opportunity of controlling the first impression given.
Layout – consider spacing between lines, indents, justification of right side of page etc. Attending to these things make reading a resume far easier.

COVERING LETTERS AND ATTACHMENTS
A cover letter can be attached to a standard resume both in order to give it context (e.g. saying why the resume is being submitted), and to fill in gaps relevant to the situation in which it is submitted.
Attachments sometimes included might be:

• Copies of qualifications (e.g. certificates, diplomas, awards).
• References from past employers, colleagues, respectable individuals/community leaders.
• Photos of work projects undertaken.

VERSIONS and EDITING

A good CV might not be appropriate to use for every place you wish to use it.
For some jobs and employers, the resume might work best with more detail or highlighting certain things; but for someone else a different approach might be called for.
Always be prepared to adjust your “standard resume” according to the situation where it is being used. 
Resumes should be proofread after they are completed.
A spell check program can be used to pick up spelling, grammatical or typographical errors; but never rely completely on a computer program in this way. These programs are never flawless.
It is always a good idea to get a second opinion; and have someone other than yourself read over your resume to make sure you got it right.