Not so fast. Sure you’ve got a knockout résumé, but do you actually know how to use it? Unfortunately, most job seekers don’t, according to career coach Katy Piotrowski.

“Nine out of 10 job seekers do very little with their résumés, hoping that their dream employer will come looking for them. Just like a hammer, a résumé is a tool that can help you get the job done. But if the hammer sits in a toolbox unused, it’s worthless. Your résumé, sitting on your desk or in your computer, will do little for you unless it lands in the hands of decision makers,” Piotrowski writes in her recently released book, ““The Career Coward’s Guide to Résumés.”

While working with thousands of job seekers, Piotrowski has seen firsthand which résumé strategies significantly increased the number of interviews her clients received. Based on her experience, here are five sure-fire methods to maximize a résumé’s results:

Customize your résumé every time you apply to a job opening

• Include the position’s job title and any reference code or number provided.
• Ensure that your résumé mimics keywords used throughout the job description.
• Make changes if the résumé does not already highlight a key skill area mentioned in the job description.

Tap into your network to identify helpful contacts in the hiring company

• If you’ve found a job target, contact friends, family, colleagues and references to ask if they know anyone connected to the company.
• If they do, discuss whether or not you can mention their name in your cover letter.
• Ask if they would be willing to hand deliver your résumé to the hiring manager.
  Submit both electronic and hard copies of your résumé
• Most employers now require job seekers to apply online, through e-mail or various application processes.
• On the other hand, many hiring managers have expressed to Piotrowski that they miss receiving hard-copy submissions that they can actually hold.
• Sending both an electronic and hard copy ensures that the employer still receives your résumé, in case one is lost.

Send a second submission of your résumé two days later

• Two days after sending both the electronic and hard-copy of your résumé and cover letter, resend another hard copy.
• In the upper-right corner of your cover letter, hand write, “Second Submission. I’m very interested.”

Go direct

• Identify 25 to 100 companies where you want to work and mail your résumé and cover letter directly to them, even though they may not be hiring.
• Consider using a phone book to identify target employers.
• Studies show that one-third of all positions are filled through this method, but less than 10 percent of job seekers actually do this.

“A strong résumé and taking advantage of effective job search techniques are what will help you pull ahead of your competition. Then you’ll open many doors to attractive positions that fit your skills and interests,” reminds Piotrowski.

Source: MSN Careers

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Internships have always been encouraged among college students and recent graduates, but they’ve never been more important than in the current economy. In this competitive job market, the first thing employers are looking for is relevant experience. Internships help not only to build skill sets and establish successful track records, but they offer great networking opportunities to land a full-time position after graduation.

Fifty-nine percent of employers said they are likely to hire their college interns as full-time, permanent employees, according to a new survey from CBcampus.com, CareerBuilder.com’s college job-search site. Twenty-four percent of hiring managers said they plan to hire college interns in the first half of 2009, while 12 percent plan to do so as early as the fourth quarter of 2008.

Earning money … and experience

For employers, the most valuable part of an internship is providing young people with real-world experience, as well as an enhanced skill set. But for the interns, the most valuable part also includes the contribution an internship makes to their bank accounts.

The majority (62 percent) of employers looking for college interns say they plan to pay them $10 or more per hour. Twenty-three percent will pay in excess of $15 per hour and to a lucky few, 9 percent of employers will dish out more than $20 per hour. Only 14 percent of hiring managers said they are offering unpaid positions.

What are employers are looking for?

Many students in internships don’t know what hiring managers are looking for in potential full-time candidates. When asked which factors were among the most important in influencing their decision to hire a college intern permanently, employers cited the candidate’s aptitude to produce timely, quality work (77 percent); critical-thinking and problem-solving skills (76 percent); and level of professionalism (73 percent).

If you’re looking to turn your internship into a full-time gig, here are five tips to help you:

1.      Treat your internship like an extended job interview — because it is.  Arrive on time, beat (or at the very least meet) deadlines and consistently deliver strong work. 

2.      Seek out challenges – Employers want employees who show initiative and a desire to learn and develop.  The majority of employers (59 percent) are more likely to permanently hire a college intern who asks for more responsibilities. 

3.      Ask good questions — Employers know you don’t have all the answers. In fact, 46 percent said candidates who come to them with thoughtful questions have a better chance of getting hired full time. 

4.      Remember the golden rule – Always be respectful, address co-workers courteously and don’t get caught up in office gossip.

5.      Leave a positive impression — Show enthusiasm for the projects you’re working on and the company overall; don’t complain; and refrain from e-mailing or talking to friends.

Source: CareerBuilder.com

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1. Move into awesome new apartment (away from the dorms and parents)
2. Register for classes (no classes on Friday or before 9 a.m. please!)
3. Buy books (there goes $500 I’ll never see again…)
4. Party with friends before classes start

Add this to your ‘to-do’ list: Secure an internship.

For those who believe that internships are synonymous with summer break, think again. According to recent surveys, fall internship hiring is on the rise and the opportunities are paving the way for full-time positions for those hired to do the job.

Sixty-one percent of hiring managers say they’re hiring college students or recent CBcampus.com. Forty-four percent say they would likely hire college interns as full-time, permanent employees.

“It’s never too early to start thinking about internships,” says Nathan Lippe, senior career adviser for CBcampus.com. “There are a great deal of opportunities that exist as long as you take the time to search and apply.”

Not only do internships plump up your résumé, they can also save you time on your full-time job search. Plus, making yourself available for an internship increases your chances for hiring in the long run. Fifty-nine percent of hiring managers surveyed said they currently recruit interns or they have in the past, while 14 percent plans to take on interns in the future. Eighty-four percent of hiring managers say they will be hiring college interns for the fall between June and September.

“College students and recent college graduates need to take advantage of this so that they can gain hands-on experience to add to their résumés and build a professional network,” Lippe says.

For students looking to make a little extra cash, internships can potentially replace their part-time jobs during the school year since many employers are willing to pay their interns this fall. Thirty-six percent of hiring managers say their internships are paid and 14 percent say they have both paid and unpaid positions.

To secure your internship as a full-time job this fall, follow these tips from Lippe:

Be enthusiastic.
Being energetic and showing your manager how much you enjoy your job goes a long way. Thirty-five percent of employers say the biggest mistake college interns make that would cause them not to hire the intern permanently is not showing enthusiasm for the job.

Go above and beyond.
Motivating yourself to do more than just the assigned task will make you stand out among your co-workers. If you’re not convinced that managers notice your extra efforts, maybe this will help: One-in-five employers say not going above and beyond the assigned task would be the biggest mistake a college intern can make that would cause them not to get hired permanently.

Be on time.
Being punctual shows that you’re both reliable and responsible. While there are managers who aren’t as stringent when it comes to start times (as long as work is getting done), others expect you to be on time every day. With 13 percent of employers saying arriving late to work is the biggest mistake college interns make that would cause them not to hire them full-time, waking up 15 minutes earlier is probably worth it.

Source CareerBuilder.com

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Think of the job description as a guide when tailoring your resume for a particular position. Write down or underline all of the employer’s qualifications and think of ways that you meet each or most of these. If you do not have a job description, imagine what the qualifications would be based on your knowledge of the position. Plan to emphasize these relevant qualifications on the majority of your resume.

2. Follow the 2/3rds rule.

Try to ensure that at least the first 2/3rds of your resume contains relevant information to the position you are applying for. If you do not have relevant experience, highlight your relevant coursework, group projects, or school activities.

3. Include a “Summary” or “Highlights of Qualifications” section.

This enables you to distinctly describe to an employer that you possess the qualifications he or she is looking for. Make this section concise yet information-packed. In other words, don’t state broad qualifications that anyone could state about him or herself (i. e., strong writing skills). Instead, state your unique qualifications as they relate to the needs of the employer (i. e., effective writing skills as evidenced by my recent appointment to Student Newspaper Editor).

4. Emphasize past results and accomplishments.

Describe results and accomplishments that present you in the most favorable light (i. e., presented with the Student Marketing Award, an award given to one of 50 national finalists). Employers have learned that past behavior is often effective in predicting future on-the-job behavior.

5. Use boldface sparingly and to your advantage.

For example, if you are applying for a public relations position and you have held a previous public relations internship, place your position title (i. e., Public Relations Intern) in bold before listing your place of work.

6. Use headings to your advantage.

There are no right and wrong rules when using resume headings. Using the 2/3rds rule, pick headings that will call attention to your strongest relevant skills and place them towards the top (i. e., Course Highlights, Professional Activities, International Study, etc.).

7. Limit your resume to one page.

Most employers will expect a one-page resume from college students or recent college graduates. You may find it appropriate to use two pages after you have had a number of years of professional experience.

Using the above secrets will enable you to make your resume GREAT! Want to see more? Take a look at our example of a GREAT resume!

Copyright © Internweb.com.

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