They Don't Teach Corporate in College Read Online Free PDF

this format if you’re changing careers.)
    Investigate what experience is required for your targeted position, and then illustrate how you fit the bill.
    List titles that accurately reflect your job description, even if they’re not official.
    Focus on results rather than responsibilities.
    Use action verbs to qualify achievements (for example,
coordinated
and
evaluated
).
    Include a section for marketable skills (for example, computer and language skills).
    Keep the document to one page.
    Check for typos and inconsistencies in format.
    Online services such as Vine (vine.co) and VisualCV ( visualcv.com ) allow you to take your resume information to a more sophisticated level, but don’t let too many bells and whistles detract from the basics. Make sure that allforms of your resume have up-to-date contact information, including a cell phone number and email address. And yes, you need a voicemail greeting for your cell. Replace the cutesy one with a message that is tailored to your most important audience: your potential employer. (See Chapter 5 for voicemail greeting tips.)
The Myth of Cover Letters
    Burning the midnight oil to write a spectacular cover letter to send with your resume is not the best use of your time. Why? It’s critical that the right people read your materials, and that probably won’t happen with a traditional cover letter and resume addressed to a human resources manager. Your resume could be better than Donald Trump’s, but if it sits in Mr. HR’s inbox for six months, it’s useless.
    A few years back, when I was looking for a job, I read two resume-writing books cover to cover. After I applied to a bunch of jobs using their advice, I received form letters from 20 percent of the companies and no response at all from the other 80 percent. Desperate, I tried the following method—and got a job offer the first time.
    No matter what the recruiters say, the best way to land a job is to communicate directly with the individual who can hire you. It’s easier than you think. The first step is to ask everyone you talk to if they know someone at your target company. Inevitably, you’ll be chatting with someone at a party and will find out that her sister-in-law works for “Fab Company.” Should you find yourself in this situation, don’t waste time reflecting on the coincidental nature of the world. It’s your lucky day! A lot of experts say that the best way to proceed from here is to ask your party friend if she would feel comfortable introducing you to her sister-in-law. I agree that this is a good idea in principle. The only trouble is, then you have to rely on the party friend to follow through. Instead, maintain control over the process by getting the sister-in-law’s name and ask your party friend if she’d mind if you emailed her sister-in-law. She’ll probably say yes to your request, because most people like to help someone out. Be sure to thank her profusely. Then go home right away and draft a cordial message resembling the one on page 31 .
    Ideally, you should use an email address from your own personal domain (such as [email protected] ) and not something unprofessional (in other words, NOT [email protected] ). Mention the name of the familymember you met at the party in the subject line so that your contact will open the message instead of deleting it with her spam. The tone of the message should not be wishy-washy or vague. Keep it short and sweet, ask for what you want up front, and be specific. Include a signature line with full contact information at the bottom.
    Subject: Referred by Jenny Partygoer
    Dear Ms. Sister-in-Law:
    My name is Jill Jobhunter and I’m a friend of your sister-in-law, Jenny Partygoer. Jenny mentioned that you worked at Fab Company. I’m looking for a new position in Widget Creation, and I believe that Fab Company might be a good fit for my skills and experience.
    Might you be willing