Your Resume Must Represent Your Career Goals

When drafting your resume, it is easy to fall into the habit of focusing on the past. After all, much of your resume will consist of a list of things you've done—from positions you've held to special awards you've received to degrees you've attained. A resume is, in fact, a compilation of your professional and, in some cases, personal history. Therefore, admittedly, much of your resume will have sentences and clauses that are in the past tense.

And yet, a resume should also be a forward-looking document. In other words, it should not simply indicate where you've been—it should also inform a potential employer about where you're headed. As a result, in order to craft a truly effective resume, you must be somewhat futuristic in your thinking. This means clearly articulating your career goals within the text of your resume.

Define Your Goals

Placing your career goals on your resume can be quite a challenge if you do not have a clear idea of what those goals are. If you are in this position, you're certainly not alone. Many of us have difficulty visualizing where we would like to be five or ten years down our career path. In a number of cases, this may be the result of selling ourselves short, thinking that the highest levels of achievement in our chosen field are closed to us because we are lacking in some area—interpersonal communication, written communication, decision-making ability, or other job skills which are critically important for managers.

However, if you talk with someone who has made significant progress in his or her career, you might be surprised to learn that this individual also faced feelings of inadequacy or believed that he or she was ill prepared for the job now held. Even sons and daughters of business owners often have to start out in entry-level jobs before they master the skills and expertise needed to run a company. In other words, it would be wrong to assume that a corporate executive is inherently more talented or more intelligent than you are.

Through research—interviewing executives, reading business magazines, and talking to members of professional organizations that you belong to—you should be able to develop a clearer idea of what your career goals are. Perhaps you would like to secure a managerial position…maybe you'd like to teach at the college level…or perhaps you would like to own your own company some day. Jot both immediate and long-term goals down on paper so you have some idea what kind of information you'd like to convey on your resume.

Showcase Your Goals

Once you have defined your career goals, it is important that you showcase them on your resume. Of course, there are various schools of thought about how to highlight career goals most effectively. Which approach you ultimately decide to take depends on a number of factors: what your colleagues and mentors consider to be most effective; what you yourself are comfortable with; and what is the most appropriate approach for the position you're attempting to pursue.

One effective means of spotlighting your career goals is by placing them under a "Career Objective" category in your resume. This category affords you the opportunity to clearly articulate the direction in which you'd like your career path to go. If you have more than one career goal to list, it's perhaps most effective to list your goals in bullet-point format.

But there are also some other creative ways you can indicate your career goals on your resume. For instance, in the supplemental information you provide for each position you've held, you can indicate how that particular job—or the duties that came with it—helped to move you toward your career goal. As with all the other text in your resume, this information should be stated clearly and succinctly. A simple phrase can inform a prospective employer about how a position aided you in developing the skills needed for achieving your career goals.

Avoid the Temptation of Omitting Critical Information

Unfortunately, some job seekers become so focused on their career goals that they feel that they have to radically alter their resumes in order to demonstrate their dedication to their goals. Such an approach is sure to backfire because it creates a resume that is misleading. When an employer discovers that you have omitted key information, he or she may be understandably reluctant to hire you.

You decide that a resume re-draft is absolutely essential. However, when you begin the re-writing process, you decide to give a major makeover to the "Experience" section of your resume. You eliminate every job that does not directly relate to your career goal. By "streamlining" your resume, you hope to increase your chances of securing the position you desire.

Unfortunately, things in the business world are not that simple. By omitting references to certain jobs in your resume, you are doing a disservice to your employer—and to yourself. You are making it appear as if you've been headed in the same direction throughout your career when, in fact, your career might have taken a number of twists and turns. In addition, your streamlining has resulted in the appearance of serious gaps in your work history. If a would-be employer believes that you were unemployed for long periods of time, he or she may simply place your resume in the reject pile.

Be Open-Minded

Recognize that your career goals can change throughout your employment. As a result, you may need to tinker with the career goals text in your resume every so often. This is not an admission of defeat—rather, it is simply an indication that, as your work experience broadens, your ultimate objectives may evolve, taking you along paths you never dreamed possible.

Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/author-articles/634/1.html

Career References

When you entered this job hunt, you knew you needed a résumé. A cover letter was a very good idea, too, and you got right on it. You may have even considered creating a follow up "Thank you" note for all those interviews (because you are very smart). You may have found yourself sitting at your computer late one night writing the perfect resignation letter (either the most difficult or most fun of compositions), being careful not to burn any bridges. But what about these references? You know you need them. You know that at some point in the interview game, if the hiring manager is on top of things, he or she is going to ask for them. But when? And from whom should these referrals come; past employers, co-workers, colleagues, mentors, professors, friends? Should they be written, or is it better for the hiring manager to speak to the referral (on the phone)? How far back in time can you go with your references before they are considered "too old," or no longer quite as valid or valuable?

Your résumé may proudly state that you have them available, "References available," but the truth is that statement is as far as many job hunters get, before scrambling to put something together at the request of a hiring manager or potential employer at the last minute.

When should you begin gathering references? You should be gathering these throughout your career life, whether you have a current need for them or not. Every time you leave a position, for example, you should be collecting letters, names and contact information from your employer, co-workers and clients who would be willing to express, either in writing or as a future contact, the level of services and work you have provided, even if the next job has been secured without them. When you graduate from college, getting letters of recommendation from professors and mentors should be one of the first things on your "To do" list. It may be a couple of years down the road before you need these references, but when you need them, when the job you are targeting is perfect and you want the best opportunity to beat out the other potential candidates for the position. . . good (no, great) references can make the difference.

Another reason why it is so important to gather these references immediately after graduation or resignation from a position is because at that moment your accomplishments, talents, skills and achievements are as clear to your reference as they may ever be. Think about what this reference or contact person may remember about you five years from now, versus what they know about you today. The achievement that brings such a wide smile of gratitude so soon after it's been accomplished may dim as the years move forward.

Get your references in writing, even if you have to offer to write the reference letter yourself. And try to get them on company letterhead if at all possible. Many people don't have the time or inclination to write a lengthy letter, but will be glad to sign one if the information is accurate and presented well. Written letters of recommendation remain a strong indication of what you have to offer.

In addition to having written letters of recommendation, you want to be able to provide the potential employer or hiring manager with names of those who they may contact who know of your work ethics, talents and achievements. By speaking directly with your references, the hiring manager may have the opportunity to ask questions specific and relevant to the particular position you're targeting. Because of this, it's important that you contact these references immediately following an interview, to bring them up-to-speed regarding the position in question and any particular criteria addressed in the interview. A prepared referral will provide much more enthusiastic and valuable information than one who is caught off-guard.

The information you provide to a potential employer regarding your reference contacts (in writing) should include: the referral's full name, their title (President, Owner, Manager, Producer, Program Director, Project Manager, etc.), the company they work for (ABC Corporation), their relationship to you (supervisor, employer, co-worker, mentor, professor, etc.) and a phone number or e-mail address where they may be reached.

Your references should be either current, individuals who have worked with you recently or have remained in contact with you on a regular basis and are familiar with your current career direction and achievements. Every employer or hiring manager is most interested in information that is the most current. Therefore, a referral who is familiar with your work during the most recent few years will be more valuable, from the potential employer's point of view, than a contact person whose last relevant experience with you was 10 or 15 years ago. This does not mean that you cannot include referrals who are from 10 in years in the past, but you should also include individuals who are familiar with your most recent work efforts and achievements.

What makes a good referral? A good referral addresses the personal and professional characteristics you have demonstrated in past positions or environments (relevant to the positions you are currently targeting), with a focus on the benefits or values of your contributions and efforts. Simply put, a good referral encourages a potential employer view you as a valuable hire.

Good luck with your job search!
Sue Campbell
1st-writer.com