Take your job search online
— -- Unemployment is at a 15-year high. So, if you're looking for a job, you're not alone. Unfortunately, the competition makes landing a job more difficult.
You must be savvy. You'll find plenty of help online. I have some tips, and some places to look. For links to these sites, visit www.komando.com/news.
Create a stellar resume
Your resume is your professional calling card. A poorly executed one might well go into the trash. A clean, clear effort might get you an interview. Few people land jobs with just a good resume, but a sloppy resume is a killer. So, your resume must be top-notch and error-free. It is the price of admission.
Most job boards offer tips for crafting a resume. Or, search Google for sample resumes. Microsoft Word includes templates. Microsoft has more on its site. Take your time and do it right.
Watch out for filters
Companies often filter resumes with software. So, keywords are paramount. For example, list by name the programs you know. And include a job title in your objective.
Filters can also harm you when you e-mail your resume. It could be flagged by a spam filter. For example, the term magna cum laude will likely flag your message.
Predicting what will trigger spam filters is difficult. Online tools like SpamCheck can help. They examine your message for "spammy" words.
Optimize your resume's format
The format of your resume is also very important. Obviously, you want a fully formatted resume suitable for printing. Include indents, bullets and font formatting.
You also need a plain-text resume for e-mailing. It shouldn't contain bullets, special characters or font formatting. Use asterisks instead of bullets. All caps can be used to separate sections and highlight words.
Indents and complex spacing should be avoided. Spacing often doesn't appear correctly in e-mail; this affects your resume's readability. E-mail it to yourself to check readability.
Many sites can use your plain-text resume to complete an application. The contents of your resume are matched with the appropriate fields.
