Monday, December 14, 2009

6 Keys to Effective Resume Letter Writing

Many people wonder what to include and how to format their cover letters. The assistance of word processing programs means you do not need to be a professional writer or wordsmith to craft the letter that accompanies your resume. Here are a few tips to help your resume letter writing stand out from the crowd:

  1. Always choose a format that best complements your job history and experiences when doing your resume letter writing. Chronological, functional and combination are the three basic formats. Take the time to review samples and determine which one is right based on your audience, work history, and experiences. Do not take unnecessary risks by choosing a less than compatible format.
  2. Contact information must be professional and clear. Moreover, it needs to appear on every page of your resume letter writing. If you have a professionally questionable email address, get a new one. Yahoo, Gmail, and Hotmail are only a couple of the free opportunities out there. Remember, what you consider a cute e-mail address may encourage resume screeners to make assumptions about you. Avoid the unnecessary risk.
  3. If you can not clearly state your career objective(s) or value proposition in two sentences or less, skip the objective and utilize a professional summary. Professional summaries offer more latitude in conveying the important message of how you will add value to their company.
  4. Resume letter writing must be kept at or below two pages. If you run over, take a look at the content. Did you include items that could be provided later, like references? Did you include any positions, certifications, licenses that are unrelated to this specific position?
  5. Consistent and easy to read formatting is a must for resume letter writing. Set margins at a reasonable 1 to 1.25 inches and consider using line spacing between 1.2 and 1.5. This makes it easier on the eyes without appearing overly spacious. Using indentions and bullet points can be an effective way to draw attention to specific items. Just make certain they are consistent.
  6. Use bolding, italicizing and underlining when appropriate to emphasize specific things, such as titles, employers, dates, etc. This will give the eyes of the reader a break and give you a chance to highlight certain areas. However, more is not always better. At some point it all of the specialized formatting becomes a detracting blur.

You have a very short time frame to make a dynamic, first impression on-paper. Use every word wisely. If possible have two different people read it for typographical errors.

Careers in Information Technology Today

"The study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based, information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware", is how the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) defines IT. Novel and innovative progress in the world of Information Technology is the result of man's quest to make advances in every possible way.

The turn of the century has brought with it extensive change. The generation of today and the ones before are no more similar than chalk and cheese. In the present times, it is close to impossible to survive in the absence of the "digital thinking machine"; that is, the computer. What drives people towards electronic-systemization is the fact that all processes can be automated and programmed, to ease the burden as one is incessantly hard-pressed for time. Not to mention that almost all business processes of corporate giants are founded on the intricate server-client relationship and vast network administration.

What is IT to you?

Recent studies show that, all IT companies want to hire only professionals who have been working with maximum exposure to the current technologies. This is possible only by being engaged in training programs, seminars, workshops, etc. The key points in the success of one's career are:

A Degree
Certifications
Relevant experience

The hunt for an ideal career is foremost on a youth's mind. The degree of security that the job can offer professionally as well as monetarily is another thought. Some of the various areas under constant progress in the IT sector include:

Software
Java
PHP
Perl

Technical
Linux Server Administration
Windows Server and Network Administration

Certification programs
RHCE (Red Hat Certified Engineer)
CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Administration)

Candidates trained in one or more of these above-mentioned courses are bound to have an edge over others who have not. This opens doors for a more satisfying career and higher remuneration, owing to the added qualifications in software, technical department or certification programs.

On-The-Job Training:

An added advantage would be having a hands-on or on-the-job training, wherein the candidates are guided and trained under well-experienced and seasoned IT professionals who have been in the field a good many years. In such a case, the candidate is able to attain the required experience, both theoretically and practically. Practical experience is what counts to a large extent when in the pursuit of a new job. Hands-on exposure is one of the biggest criteria as it allows one to utilize the latest in software and application.

Information Technology is one of the largest fields in the world today and offers a vast variety of career opportunities. There are some noted private IT-parks, such as Spectrum Softtech Solutions, which offer on-the-job training. For a reasonable fee, these companies train and eventually absorb the trainees. This gives them the opportunity to work with the latest in technology and software, which would otherwise be unavailable to them. Spectrum has been in the IT sector for a long time and has been in keeping with the advances in technology. Hands-on training in such companies is the best way to obtain the training and experience that a fresher requires, or for someone who is looking to jump-start a waning career. Such programs gives one a fresh perspective on various career-related issues and is most helpful in gaining an insight into technical details which were unclear before

How to Secure Your Dream Job

You had the required training, education and cleared all you exams with so much effort. So it's time to put all that learning and effort into securing your dream job.

We get jealous of others who have that perfect job which they always dreamed of. You might be doing a job but may not be satisfied with it, you feel out of place. If you have some other goal and desire to achieve something in life than you can own your desired job if you know the way to do it.

Even before you start searching for the job, be very clear about the kind of job you want to do. Few people go in search of job without knowing or having idea about job title. Few points that need to be kept in mind are:

a. Desired job - It is very important to know the job you are interested in. you should not go around beating the bush. You should be focused on the kind of job you are looking for which makes the search for the job much easier and precise. There will be so many designations in the same kind of job so it should be clear enough for which one you are opting for. There are so many jobs of the same kind that one tends to get confused.

b. Research and analysis - you should make all the possible research and analysis about your dream job and the industry you want to work for. Find the details of qualifications and skill sets required for that particular job. Take the advice of people who already are in that field. This will help prepare you to pass the expectation in that job.

c. Networking - Let others like your friends, relatives know about your interest. Talk to people who are working in your Dream Company or job and tell them about your interest, they may help you to know about openings and also can give reference which can be a big help.

d. Courses related to the job - Try getting enrolled in the courses which are related to the job of your interest. Get involved into workshops so that when you appear for interviews the employer can see your genuine interest in the job and the efforts you have put in to achieve it.

e. Get experience - This plays an important role and a winning edge to secure your dream job. It might be difficult to have experience for a fresher but you can work on pat time, temporary or on contract to get experienced. It will be all the more better if you get a chance to do internship in a company, which belongs to the industry which you are interested in. It will give you an added benefit.

f. Targeting companies - Once you're sure about your dream job than start targeting the companies that can give you the path to achieve that dream career. But before you go for interview be prepared about the company details so that it can create good impression on the employer.