http://www.jobsearchmasterplan.com/ This video will show you how to speed up your job search with some basic and advanced resume strategies. Plus it will show you how to create a winning cover letter.

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Powerful overview of 12 important aspects to consider when preparing your resume.

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Almost every resume I receive has “References available upon request” at the bottom of the second page. Everyone knows that you will provide references so you don’t need to include it on your resume.

However, you do need to prepare to provide references – and good ones. You are normally expected to provide approximately three references. However, you will be better served to have agreement from at least double that number of willing references. This gives you the opportunity to select those for any given opportunity that will do the best job for you. Perhaps they know about some specific skill you have that is in demand on the job you are being considered for. But it could equally be that you discovered that both the reference and the interviewer graduated from the same college or come from the same hometown.

If the company you are interviewing with believes in 360 degree evaluations (from supervisors, peers, subordinates and, sometimes wither customers or vendors) they probably will want the same configuration of references.

Well before you give out someone’s name as a reference, be sure to contact them and discuss the possibility of using them. In this conversation, let them know what being a reference entails (answering questions probably on the phone) and what you are going to tell the potential employer about how you know each other.

When you give out their name, let them know you have done so, what the job entails and why you are excited about it. That will give them a frame of reference to use when they answer questions. Ask them to let you know when they have been called. And be sure to thank them.

The information you will want to provide the potential employer is name, title and company, physical address (so they will know what time zone the person is in), phone and email (if they prefer one over the other, make a note of that), and a short description of how you know this person. If you worked together for a number of years, if there is a specific skill of yours that they know about, if they were your supervisor, etc. that is what you want to tell the potential employer. And, yes, in most cases your references should all be professional acquaintances.

Now, get on the phone – or on email – and get your reference list set up so that you will have names and information to send when it is requested.

If you would like to hear more about resumes and the other tools you need to conduct a successful job search visit http://www.acatalystinyoursuccess.com/Career_Home_Page.html

From Jane Trevaskis and Success-Catalyst.com.

While you’re revamping your resume or cover letter or constructing your proof-by-example stories for interviews, you’ll find you need to watch your word choice. Why? Communication is powerful if the words we use to communicate are powerful. That’s not all it takes, but the right words make for a good beginning.

So as you craft achievement statements or write paragraphs that sell your skills or draft interview responses to knock the employers’ socks off, consider these suggestions:

• Use verbs in active tense, not passive tense.
• Use verbs that convey power and action.
• Use verbs that claim the highest level of skill or achievement you can legitimately claim.
• Use verbs to accurately describe what you have done on the job.
• Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly, but when you use them, use them well.
• Use nouns that are as specific and as descriptive as possible.
• Use numbers whenever possible.
• Use the most impressive (and still honest) form of the number you use.
• Never lie! It IS NOT worth it. It WILL catch up with you.
• Proofread all your verbs and nouns for agreement, tense and appropriateness.
• Here, then, are 175 powerful verbs and phrases to make use of in resumes, cover letters and interviews:
• abated
• abolished
• accelerated
• accomplished
• achieved
• actively participated
• administered
• advanced
• advised
• aggressively analyzed
• applied
• assumed a key role
• authored
• automated
• built
• hired
• closed
• coached
• co-developed
• codirected
• co-founded
• cold called
• collected
• co-managed
• communicated
• completed
• computerized
• conceptualized
• conducted
• consolidated
• contained
• contracted
• contributed
• controlled
• convinced
• coordinated
• cost effectively created
• critiqued
• cut
• dealt effectively
• decreased
• defined
• delivered
• designed
• developed
• developed and applied
• directed
• doubled
• earned
• eliminated
• emphasized
• enforced
• established
• evaluated
• exceeded
• executed
• exercised
• expanded
• expedited
• facilitated
• filled
• focused
• formulated
• fostered
• founded
• gained
• generated
• ground-breaking
• headed up
• helped
• identified
• implemented
• improved
• increased
• initiated
• innovated
• instituted
• instructed
• integrated
• interviewed
• introduced
• investigated
• lectured
• led
• leveraged
• maintained
• managed
• marketed
• motivated
• negotiated
• orchestrated
• organized
• outmaneuvered
• overcame
• oversaw
• penetrated
• performed
• permitted
• persuaded
• planned
• played a key role
• positioned
• prepared
• presented
• prevented
• produced
• profitably
• project managed
• promoted
• proposed
• prospected
• protected
• provided
• published
• quadrupled
• ranked
• received
• recommended
• recruited
• reduced
• removed
• renegotiated
• replaced
• researched
• resolved
• restored
• restructured
• reversed
• satisfied
• saved
• scheduled
• scoped out
• selected
• self-financed
• set up
• sold
• solved
• staffed
• started
• stopped
• streamlined
• substituted
• supervised
• taught
• tightened
• took the lead in
• trained
• trimmed
• tripled
• troubleshooted
• turned around
• upgraded
• yielded

While you certainly can use the list anytime you’re looking to say something in a more powerful way, you can also use it to help jog your memory about accomplishments on present and past jobs that you might otherwise overlook. Also, consider using the list to help you refine your resumes and cover letters to be more powerful in their presentation and communication.

Well, you’ve finished your education or you want a new job so now you’ve got to write your first resume or CV. How do you go about this?

Well first of all what is a resume – or for our European friends CV? It’s a document detailing your skills and experience that you send to a potential employer in order to ask for a job interview. Note interview not job – jobs are offered from a combination of your resume, your interview and references.

Well what’s in it then? About two pages of well written details about your education, skills, experience and professional accomplishments.

So how do I write a great resume then?

* Remember you have about 15 seconds to make a great impact – so concentrate on the top third of your first page.

* Don’t fall into the trap of red paper, flashy fonts etc unless you are seeking a career in design.

* Be truthful in your resume – lies will find you out, with potentially job losing results.

* Don’t forget your contact details! Not your work email or phone number though! Would you employ someone who uses company resources and time to find another job?

* Make sure that your email address, web site and answer phone message all convey your professional you – first impressions count.

* Make sure everything is spelt correctly and grammatically correct. I have seen resumes with the company name spelt incorrectly!

* Make your resume specific to each job you are applying for – prospective employers like to feel wanted.

* Detail what you have done – not what the team you were in have done. Don’t just copy out your job spec.

* Include a couple of professional achievements – or if a new graduate some college achievements.

Good resume writing is about standing out from the crowd, being noticed, fitting the job description, but it's also about clarity and brevity. Keep these tips in mind and you're far more likely to get that interview.

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Lee Lister, writes as The Biz Guru, for a number of web sites including http://www.clikks.com With over 20 year’s management and business consultancy experience she now owns one of the internet's leading Resume, CV and Interview services web sites http://www.jobsuccess.co.uk

If would like help in writing your new CV or Resume, in honing your interview skills or setting up your job hunting strategy then visit http://www.jobsbiz.com We even have an MP3 audio book on writing your own resume!.

Many people know that employers tend to hire and promote people who dress and look like they do. That’s why we wear blue suits when we interview with banks or insurance companies, dress in clean slacks and a nice button down shirt when you interview for a maintenance position, and creative positions call for an interview outfit that is a bit more unique. Unfortunately, many people do not realize the importance of stylizing their resume in a way that matches their prospective employer. This explains why many highly qualified candidates do not even get an opportunity to interview. Here are four secrets you need to know in order to be successful with your resume response.

1. Learn the terminology. For example, lawyer’s call the people they serve clients, doctors call them patients, and retail organizations call them customers. Spend some time reading and speaking to people in the industry. Learn their terminology and make sure your resume consistently uses the correct terms.

2. Match tonality. Tonality is the voice that comes across on paper. If you are applying for a conservative position such as a bank or government organization, you want a resume that has a conservative tone. You want to sell yourself but in an understated formatted manner. If you are applying for a position in marketing or the creative arts you want to catch the company’s eye while maintaining clarity.

3. Don’t try to mask career changes. Sometimes when people have had several jobs or they’ve worked in several industries they assume prospective employers will be taken aback. Rather than being candid, these job seekers may try to mask their employment history by writings a “skills” resume. The truth is that people with diversified backgrounds can bring tremendous skills to a new industry or a new position. Take time to think about what skills you learned that may be useful to this employer.

4. Think like them–not you. If you were the person hiring, what skills would you be looking for in a job candidate? What qualities would be important? Your resume is usually your first introduction to perspective employers. If you think you might need help, it is well worth the cost to hire a professional writer or visit a career counselor.

Kate Garvey can help you with resumes and cover letters. She is an experienced freelance writer with an extensive business background including real estate, information technology, telecommunications and publishing. http://www.kategarvey.net As founder and director of the Pet Care Resouce Center of America. (www.PetCareRCA.com) Kate provides free pet care tips, and resources for animal lovers. If you are seeking employment, business funding, start up, planning or expansion, Kate is available as your personal coach.