Since the golden age of the Western, poker playing has always been a popular theme in Hollywood. Although many of the Hollywood films that feature poker are not very good and some of them even display poker in a ridiculous manner, watching poker action on the big screen is great fun, especially if you play poker yourself.
Here are the best poker movies that were ever produced in Hollywood. Some of the movies are actually excellent movies regardless to their display of the poker game, while in others the poker games is the feature that makes them worth watching. However, if you are a poker fan, add these movies to your musts list.
The Sting directed by George Roy Hill in 1973
The Sting is less about poker and more about the art of card sharking but it will provide you two hours of sophisticated fun. The 1973 Academy award winner features young Paul Newman as the greatest con artist of them all who mentors young Robert Redford in the art of trickestry. David S. Warn screenplay is based on true con games stories.
The Cincinnati Kid directed by Norman Jewison in 1965
The classic stud poker film known for its climatic final hand and the unforgettable quote: Gets down to what its all about, doesn't it? Making the wrong move at the right time. In short, The Cincinnati Kid is about the battle between Steve Macqueen who plays a young poker player also known as The Kid and the veteran poker gambler known as The Man who is played by Edward G. Robinson during the Great Depression in New Orleans. It may not appear at any other list of best movies, but it certainly has one of the best poker scenes ever seen on the silver screen.
California Split directed by Robert Altman in 1974
California Split may not be the pick of Robert Altmans creation, but is one of the best movies to depict the messy everyday life of two professional gamblers played by George Segal and Elliott Gould. Like in many of Altman films, the narrative is not particularly straight and the end is not necessarily happy, but it does succeed in describing an authentic experience. Additionally, poker trivia fans would be thrilled to learn that poker legend Amarillo Slim plays a small role.
Rounders directed by John Dahl in 1998
It is hard to tell whether the movie pushed to the 21st century poker boom or the rise in the popularity of poker during the last decade made Rounders a cult hit. However, Rounders is one of the best poker films to display the contemporary high stake poker scene. The core of the movie is a long poker marathon in which Mat Damon and Edward Norton are trying to earn money to pay off the latter gambling debts. World Series of Poker champion Johnny Chan plays a featured role.
Maverick directed by Richard Donner in 1994
Although Maverick is not the most brilliant film ever made and some of the poker scenes are kinda silly, it is a fun and lightheaded poker movie. It might even provide you a basic idea on what it was like to be a rambling gambler in the old west card scene with Mel Gibson as a maverick who tries to earn enough money for the big five card draw poker tournament.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Presentation Skills
To become a successful scholar one needs to possess a lot of significant traits, because research work requires unique capabilities and a great strive for work. However, a great scholar is not only the person who is doing research and then writes a dissertation or a thesis on the results of the research. Nobody will pay attention to your work if you do not have good or even remarkable presentation skills. To become successful, one needs to learn how to present the work in a proper and original way.
Appropriate presentations are important in a way that they reflect your work, on the one hand, and involve others in your research, theme, on the other hand. Essays are various by their type, size, level and difficulty. Still, no matter what kind of paper you present, it can be a description essay or an argument essay or a thesis; you have to present it accordingly. When you choose argument essay topic and work it thoroughly on, researching the issue, you have to bear one crucial thing in mind: what can be said about the matter in front the audience. What kind of information should be expressed and what is the best way to do it. Your written text, if it is an argument evaluation essay for example, should carry argumentative assumptions and be indeed convincing. Writing an argument essay requires deep research of the matter and an appropriate form the research is to be put. Under certain circumstances buying a description essay or argument and persuasion essay online may be a way out, but not everything that you want to express will be included in the paper. When presenting your paper you should follow certain rules, which can become an important part of your overall communication technique. Option no 1: you have to look well, meaning, accurate, elegant but never showy. You should look formal, because you present your work in the face of serious scholars and have to be one of them. There is a margin between original elegance, while being formal, and excessive personality exposure. You should be an example of the first notion when presenting your paper. The second key pattern is: as a speaker you have to set a contact with the audience. Thus don’t look on the walls, ceiling, floor etc. Audience is your target. It is the audience that will determine presentation’s success or failure. You should try to look over the whole auditorium; if you get involved into communication process, then the audience will be gradually involved as well. For deeper and more interesting communication, try to present you work in a way that would arouse questions and discussions. You have to make an impression of a confident but easy-going, intelligent and interesting person. Formality of the presentation does not prohibit being humorous and charming to some extent. However, this extent should be kept and not abused. Some helpful things such as the board, the schemes, the screen and other stuff can be a plus for your presentation, inasmuch as they will attract additional attention and bring interest for the audience.
The final significant point of your success is your voice. You should sound persuasive and confident. Only when you believe in what you are speaking about, the listeners will believe you.
Appropriate presentations are important in a way that they reflect your work, on the one hand, and involve others in your research, theme, on the other hand. Essays are various by their type, size, level and difficulty. Still, no matter what kind of paper you present, it can be a description essay or an argument essay or a thesis; you have to present it accordingly. When you choose argument essay topic and work it thoroughly on, researching the issue, you have to bear one crucial thing in mind: what can be said about the matter in front the audience. What kind of information should be expressed and what is the best way to do it. Your written text, if it is an argument evaluation essay for example, should carry argumentative assumptions and be indeed convincing. Writing an argument essay requires deep research of the matter and an appropriate form the research is to be put. Under certain circumstances buying a description essay or argument and persuasion essay online may be a way out, but not everything that you want to express will be included in the paper. When presenting your paper you should follow certain rules, which can become an important part of your overall communication technique. Option no 1: you have to look well, meaning, accurate, elegant but never showy. You should look formal, because you present your work in the face of serious scholars and have to be one of them. There is a margin between original elegance, while being formal, and excessive personality exposure. You should be an example of the first notion when presenting your paper. The second key pattern is: as a speaker you have to set a contact with the audience. Thus don’t look on the walls, ceiling, floor etc. Audience is your target. It is the audience that will determine presentation’s success or failure. You should try to look over the whole auditorium; if you get involved into communication process, then the audience will be gradually involved as well. For deeper and more interesting communication, try to present you work in a way that would arouse questions and discussions. You have to make an impression of a confident but easy-going, intelligent and interesting person. Formality of the presentation does not prohibit being humorous and charming to some extent. However, this extent should be kept and not abused. Some helpful things such as the board, the schemes, the screen and other stuff can be a plus for your presentation, inasmuch as they will attract additional attention and bring interest for the audience.
The final significant point of your success is your voice. You should sound persuasive and confident. Only when you believe in what you are speaking about, the listeners will believe you.
Why SEO Consulants Should Not Use Press Releases
Rumor has it that press releases are the next big thing in the SEO business, and many companies are spending top dollars trying to write the next big press release announcing the next big balloon breaking technology. But is this really the next big thing?
By definition, a Press Release is a kind of news item released by the company on whom the news is being reported. As such, you will have to compete with all the other press releases and hope that your will get picked up.
Why Will Your Press Release Be Trashed?
1) Unless you are writing a press release about Microsoft, Adobe, Sony or one of the other mega-companies, or at least about a company that is relatively well known, forget about it. Journalists and news editors receive thousands of press releases a day and there is no way that they will waste more than a quick glance. So why should you pay a company seven to eight hundred dollars for them sending your press release to thousands of editors and journalists when they are going to junk it anyway?
2) Unless you are announcing a truly revolutionary product or technology (which I assume you are not since you are only interested in using the professionally paid and written press release to boost your search engine rankings), whatever you make up or announce such as some new free deal or new portal offering something unique, your chances of being picked up are very slim. Yes, the PR companies will tell you that they have vast experience in writing Press Releases that will make yours stand out and get picked up but this is not accurate. The only way your PR is going to get picked up is if it truly is something out of the ordinary or something that no one has ever thought off.
3) Unless you plan to spend millions of dollars and then just by sheer volume your site will go ahead in the search engines, this is not a good option. Why? If you send a large number of press releases then these will be placed on the different PR companies websites main page. Since most of these home pages have a very high page rank, your site will get a boost. The question is whether this boost is worth the large amount of money you will put into the PR companies pocket. No it is not. Use that money to buy (though I do not recommend this) links from high-ranked websites and you will pay less and receive more benefit.
4) Any press release, even if it has been accepted, will remain on the different pages for just a short time, making the time and effort and even more so the amount of money you paid fruitless.
Conclusion:
A press release is useful if you wish to contact the press and maybe get some free publicity, but it is of no use if you wish to use it as a tool in order to advance your website in the search engines.
By definition, a Press Release is a kind of news item released by the company on whom the news is being reported. As such, you will have to compete with all the other press releases and hope that your will get picked up.
Why Will Your Press Release Be Trashed?
1) Unless you are writing a press release about Microsoft, Adobe, Sony or one of the other mega-companies, or at least about a company that is relatively well known, forget about it. Journalists and news editors receive thousands of press releases a day and there is no way that they will waste more than a quick glance. So why should you pay a company seven to eight hundred dollars for them sending your press release to thousands of editors and journalists when they are going to junk it anyway?
2) Unless you are announcing a truly revolutionary product or technology (which I assume you are not since you are only interested in using the professionally paid and written press release to boost your search engine rankings), whatever you make up or announce such as some new free deal or new portal offering something unique, your chances of being picked up are very slim. Yes, the PR companies will tell you that they have vast experience in writing Press Releases that will make yours stand out and get picked up but this is not accurate. The only way your PR is going to get picked up is if it truly is something out of the ordinary or something that no one has ever thought off.
3) Unless you plan to spend millions of dollars and then just by sheer volume your site will go ahead in the search engines, this is not a good option. Why? If you send a large number of press releases then these will be placed on the different PR companies websites main page. Since most of these home pages have a very high page rank, your site will get a boost. The question is whether this boost is worth the large amount of money you will put into the PR companies pocket. No it is not. Use that money to buy (though I do not recommend this) links from high-ranked websites and you will pay less and receive more benefit.
4) Any press release, even if it has been accepted, will remain on the different pages for just a short time, making the time and effort and even more so the amount of money you paid fruitless.
Conclusion:
A press release is useful if you wish to contact the press and maybe get some free publicity, but it is of no use if you wish to use it as a tool in order to advance your website in the search engines.
Using A Pressure Washer To Clean Concrete
Cleaning concrete is tough and there is an easy way and a hard way. There is one thing you need to understand when you are pressure washer cleaning concrete; the concrete cannot always be made to look brand new again after it has been stained. You can always get stains lighter or bleached but completely removing it is very difficult, sometimes you get lucky, but if you are looking for perfection, chances are you will be underwhelmed. So when talking to customers let them know up front and explain this to them otherwise they will be asking for a job that just can't be done unless the entire concrete slab is ripped up and re-poured.
Let’s talk about equipment that is needed for this type of work. Remember safety is always important when working with a pressure washer. Some times there are chemicals involved in cleaning some stains. Thus, you should always use some type of eye protection. Also, when you are using chemicals you need to wear jeans to protect your legs. Chemicals made for concrete are very strong and should not be toyed with. Would a person rather work with dry feet or wet? It is recommended that you get rubber waders or some type of rubber boot. They will keep your feet from getting wet and keep them from getting burned by the 250 degree water.
Orange cones are also important to have for this job. These help make people visually aware that you are there if you are in a high traffic area or where there are a lot of contract workers at say a newly constructed house that needs the concrete cleaned. This makes everyone around you safe and you are helping prevent accidents. Of course you are going to need a Hydro-Twister for this job. You can technically do the job with a wand but it will take a lot more time and water, not to mention you can cause streaking if you are not using even strokes across the slab of concrete. Most of the new hot water pressure washers have an option of a hydro twister type unit but if you don't have one and or you need a second unit we recommend that you go to buy one. When buying a hydro twister buy the larger of the two. There my be only a 5 inch difference in surface coverage but it is well worth it when you are trying to save time without cutting corners. Especially if you are cleaning concrete at a construction site or a large retail type box store, there is a lot of concrete and the faster you clean it the more money you will make. Think about it.
Profit From Writing
If you’re passionate about writing and want to make it your career, you need to be resourceful, professional, determined and self-motivated to succeed. Writing for a living isn’t easy and unless you’ve already landed a five figure book deal for your latest novel, you need to be as creative in generating income as you are with your words.
To help you profit from writing, here are a few opportunities to explore:
Writing for Magazines
This is the starting point for many freelance writers who want to be published and paid. Magazines require good content and many editors still rely on freelance writers to provide it. Although the market is competitive, if you can produce well-researched, original articles to suit the magazine’s style and readership, you’ll have a greater chance of winning a commission.
My tips: Focus on writing about what you know, drawing upon any specialist knowledge or interests. Use the Internet to study publications all over the world to increase your markets.
Write Greetings Card Verses
Greetings card companies often seek original verse or prose for their range of cards. If you have a forte for writing short humorous or meaningful passages, this could provide a successful opening for you.
My tips: Take a look at the verses in greetings cards to study their style. Create a few sample verses. Note the name of the greetings card publisher and contact them for their current requirements.
Create Copy for the Business Sector
One of the more lucrative writing opportunities is copywriting for businesses and public sector organisations. If your writing is concise, clear and fresh, you’ll find there is a market for your services producing leaflets, guides, press releases, advertising copy and web content.
My tips: Produce a portfolio of your work to show the diversity of your skills. Attend a business network event to market your services.
Take a Staff Writing Job
Freelance writing is great but if you prefer the relative security of a regular income and the warmth and vitality of a creative office environment, you might consider applying for a staff based writing position. Many opportunities exist for journalists, copywriters, web content writers, editors and feature writers. Recently, a major company even required the services of a dedicated letter writer! The skills of a quality writer are in demand and you’ll find that most salaries reflect this.
My tips: Spend time writing a professional CV and produce some sample writing. First impressions count!
Become a Ghost-writer!
Some writers make a reasonable living ghost-writing other people’s life stories. You can receive payment on a work-for-hire basis or on a royalty share agreement. If you enjoy interviewing people and writing at length, this will have great appeal.
My tips: Speak to other ghost-writers and research the book publishing field so that you gain a reasonable working knowledge of the current trends.
Compile Crosswords, Puzzles and Fillers
Writing short filler material, from anecdotes to puzzles, can be quite rewarding. Many publications feature a regular crossword to entertain their readers. Although considered to be quite a closed-market, it is worth approaching publications with ideas or samples for consideration.
My tips: Research your markets carefully. Target new publications where there may be openings. Offer fillers and puzzles relevant to the target readership.
Expand Your Range of Services
Some writers find it easy spotting typos or English grammar mistakes. If you’re one of them, consider taking a course in editing or proofreading to expand on your range of wordsmith services! There is often a decent demand for these services so it will provide an additional source of revenue.
My tips: Take a course and gain a qualification. Contact publishing companies as many now use the services of freelance copyeditors and proofreaders.
Self-Publish
If you have specialist knowledge, consider writing and self-publishing a book or a series of guides or newsletters! With the right topic and good marketing, you can build a niche publication. For example, some authors have turned their hobby of walking into providing guidebooks and newsletters on local walks. You could do something similar, whether your interest is sewing, cycling, cooking or woodworking.
My tips: try print-on-demand publishing or publishing electronically to keep costs down while you’re building your publishing venture.
Good luck in your career as a writer! With the right approach, you’ll find there are many opportunities to become a successful wordsmith.
To help you profit from writing, here are a few opportunities to explore:
Writing for Magazines
This is the starting point for many freelance writers who want to be published and paid. Magazines require good content and many editors still rely on freelance writers to provide it. Although the market is competitive, if you can produce well-researched, original articles to suit the magazine’s style and readership, you’ll have a greater chance of winning a commission.
My tips: Focus on writing about what you know, drawing upon any specialist knowledge or interests. Use the Internet to study publications all over the world to increase your markets.
Write Greetings Card Verses
Greetings card companies often seek original verse or prose for their range of cards. If you have a forte for writing short humorous or meaningful passages, this could provide a successful opening for you.
My tips: Take a look at the verses in greetings cards to study their style. Create a few sample verses. Note the name of the greetings card publisher and contact them for their current requirements.
Create Copy for the Business Sector
One of the more lucrative writing opportunities is copywriting for businesses and public sector organisations. If your writing is concise, clear and fresh, you’ll find there is a market for your services producing leaflets, guides, press releases, advertising copy and web content.
My tips: Produce a portfolio of your work to show the diversity of your skills. Attend a business network event to market your services.
Take a Staff Writing Job
Freelance writing is great but if you prefer the relative security of a regular income and the warmth and vitality of a creative office environment, you might consider applying for a staff based writing position. Many opportunities exist for journalists, copywriters, web content writers, editors and feature writers. Recently, a major company even required the services of a dedicated letter writer! The skills of a quality writer are in demand and you’ll find that most salaries reflect this.
My tips: Spend time writing a professional CV and produce some sample writing. First impressions count!
Become a Ghost-writer!
Some writers make a reasonable living ghost-writing other people’s life stories. You can receive payment on a work-for-hire basis or on a royalty share agreement. If you enjoy interviewing people and writing at length, this will have great appeal.
My tips: Speak to other ghost-writers and research the book publishing field so that you gain a reasonable working knowledge of the current trends.
Compile Crosswords, Puzzles and Fillers
Writing short filler material, from anecdotes to puzzles, can be quite rewarding. Many publications feature a regular crossword to entertain their readers. Although considered to be quite a closed-market, it is worth approaching publications with ideas or samples for consideration.
My tips: Research your markets carefully. Target new publications where there may be openings. Offer fillers and puzzles relevant to the target readership.
Expand Your Range of Services
Some writers find it easy spotting typos or English grammar mistakes. If you’re one of them, consider taking a course in editing or proofreading to expand on your range of wordsmith services! There is often a decent demand for these services so it will provide an additional source of revenue.
My tips: Take a course and gain a qualification. Contact publishing companies as many now use the services of freelance copyeditors and proofreaders.
Self-Publish
If you have specialist knowledge, consider writing and self-publishing a book or a series of guides or newsletters! With the right topic and good marketing, you can build a niche publication. For example, some authors have turned their hobby of walking into providing guidebooks and newsletters on local walks. You could do something similar, whether your interest is sewing, cycling, cooking or woodworking.
My tips: try print-on-demand publishing or publishing electronically to keep costs down while you’re building your publishing venture.
Good luck in your career as a writer! With the right approach, you’ll find there are many opportunities to become a successful wordsmith.
Resume Writing -- 3 Tips For Success
Resume writing is possibly the biggest stumbling block for folks who are looking for a job. While it may seem simple, there are allot of subtle things that really matter. Potential employers are flooded with resumes in response to their job postings, and you only have a few short moments to make it or your resume will end up in the trash. So, how do you optimize your resume to make it likely to get read? Here are 3 great tips to get you started.
1. Be Comprehensive, yet Succinct.
While your resume should contain a detailed account of your qualifications and accomplishments, you need to keep on topic specific to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a position as an office manager, for example, you don't need to include references to your stint as a rodeo clown. The prospective employer will likely be interested only in the skills and work experience that relates directly to the position they are trying to fill. Give them what they are looking for. Take a thorough account of your work history and skillset and choose to highlight what is relevant, and eliminate or downplay the items that are irrelevant. This strategy of niche resume writing keeps your resume focused and gives you the advantage of appearing to be the most qualified candidate for the job.
2. Your Resume Should be Formatted Nicely
Kooky fonts and such may be okay for personal communications, but your resume should be more "standardized". You want it to appear as neat and tidy as... well, yourself, right? A typewritten resume using standard fonts such as Times New Roman and Arial on high quality plain white paper will be a winner every time. You also need to pay close attention to your spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Nothing would be more embarrassing than a resume with typos, grammatical errors, and misspellings. Not only embarrassing, but presenting a resume with errors will not impress potential employers and will likely land your resume in the trash can. Don't rely on computer based spelling and grammar checks. Check it yourself, and if possible, get someone else to check it for you as well. Also be wary of the reformatting that sometimes happens when you upload your resume to an Internet based resume submission service. Allot of times, you will loose your careful formatting only to find it replaced with the wrong margin, strange fonts and worse. Before you send it, check it!
3. Show Enthusiasm
Your resume and cover letter should not be something that you write begrudgingly. You are excited about the job you are applying for, correct? Well, then show it! Your excitement will come across in your resume and cover letter and will impress perspective employers. Whenever it makes sense to, use action words to describe your career history and goals.
1. Be Comprehensive, yet Succinct.
While your resume should contain a detailed account of your qualifications and accomplishments, you need to keep on topic specific to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a position as an office manager, for example, you don't need to include references to your stint as a rodeo clown. The prospective employer will likely be interested only in the skills and work experience that relates directly to the position they are trying to fill. Give them what they are looking for. Take a thorough account of your work history and skillset and choose to highlight what is relevant, and eliminate or downplay the items that are irrelevant. This strategy of niche resume writing keeps your resume focused and gives you the advantage of appearing to be the most qualified candidate for the job.
2. Your Resume Should be Formatted Nicely
Kooky fonts and such may be okay for personal communications, but your resume should be more "standardized". You want it to appear as neat and tidy as... well, yourself, right? A typewritten resume using standard fonts such as Times New Roman and Arial on high quality plain white paper will be a winner every time. You also need to pay close attention to your spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Nothing would be more embarrassing than a resume with typos, grammatical errors, and misspellings. Not only embarrassing, but presenting a resume with errors will not impress potential employers and will likely land your resume in the trash can. Don't rely on computer based spelling and grammar checks. Check it yourself, and if possible, get someone else to check it for you as well. Also be wary of the reformatting that sometimes happens when you upload your resume to an Internet based resume submission service. Allot of times, you will loose your careful formatting only to find it replaced with the wrong margin, strange fonts and worse. Before you send it, check it!
3. Show Enthusiasm
Your resume and cover letter should not be something that you write begrudgingly. You are excited about the job you are applying for, correct? Well, then show it! Your excitement will come across in your resume and cover letter and will impress perspective employers. Whenever it makes sense to, use action words to describe your career history and goals.
Resume Writing For A Highly Competitive Job Market
Most job hunters already know that a resume is a must when it comes to applying for jobs and getting potential employers to take notice, but unfortunately, most resumes are just not up to par. People actively seeking employment often fail to create an effective resume that will impress hiring managers and land interviews.
And yet, in today’s vigorous job market, at a time when layoffs are the norm and competition for jobs is cutthroat, it’s more important than ever that your resume catch the eyes of the recruiter or resume screener, who may spend no more than 30 seconds on each resume during the initial selection process. This is why your resume has to be more than a document listing your various accomplishments and achievements – it must be a successful marketing tool.
A poorly constructed resume merely lists the applicant’s job history, using bullets to state past responsibilities, and entirely neglects to take advantage of marketing techniques that make a resume stand out from the crowd. You might be the hardest-working, most responsible individual around, but if your resume doesn’t make that clear, what will distinguish you from everyone else applying for the job, in the eyes of the hiring manager?
To avoid turning in a resume that blandly lists your qualities and work history, you must transform it into an accomplishment-driven piece of writing that clearly emphasizes the importance and relevance of each accomplishment.
It may not be easy to do this, but if you approach the process step-by-step, and use the basic sections of the resume to market your abilities, experience, and potential value to the employer, reworking your resume into a marketing machine is an attainable feat.
Starting From the Top
Arguably the most important part of the resume is the first three quarters of the page. Recruiters and screeners have to wade through stacks of resumes, so they tend to scan the first part of the first page to pare down the pile, initially. If you want to survive the preliminary cut, this section of your resume should be full of accomplishments that market your particular skills and capabilities to the specific employer and position.
Of course, your name and contact information appear in this section as well, but you should also include a professional summary in addition to, as mentioned above, the list of accomplishments.
Professional Summary
A professional summary is considered by many resume experts to be more effective than a stated “objective,” in today’s job market. It works as a sturdy introduction to a strong resume, and proves more powerful in the face of the 30-second scan because it offers the recruiter a snapshot of your most important attributes.
Use the summary as a short ad all about you. Include information in the first sentence or two regarding the type of position you’re looking for, and make it clear why you are different or better than the other applicants vying for the same position.
The final three or four sentences should identify your expertise and abilities that apply to the job in question. Make it clear why you can be an asset to the company! Acting as an introduction to the rest of your resume, the statements made in the professional summary need to be reinforced in the sections of the resume that follow.
Accomplishments
The accomplishments you decide to highlight in this section are important because past performance is a good indicator of what you can do for the company, if hired. Mentioning successes you have scored in the past is your best bet to landing an interview.
Just be sure to select 3-6 accomplishments that relate directly to the position you seek and make them quantifiable and measurable – provide answers to questions such as how many/much? Which one? What kind? This will add substance to the facts you have stated.
The best way to determine what accomplishments to list here is to think from the perspective of the employer. Recruiters want to know why you could be an asset to the company – perhaps you will save them time and money, or provide another favorable result? Highlight accomplishments that draw attention to your past successes in applicable areas of expertise.
The Body
This section of the resume profiles your professional experience. Here you make note of the companies you have worked for in the past, along with your title/position and the dates of employment (in years).
But be wary of falling into the trap of simply listing off your work experience. Even in this section of the resume, it’s extremely important to avoid compiling an inventory of job duties. Companies are interested in much more than surface achievements or responsibilities – they are looking for people who can translate success achieved in past jobs to a future position. Make it clear what you can contribute to the employer.
For instance, if your past role was that of “manager,” make it clear that this involved leading a team of people and successfully motivating them to complete tasks on budget and on time. If you worked as a cashier or bank teller, note that you were trusted with money and worked well in a customer service capacity. Any awards you won can also be stated in this section – just remember to quantify every statement you make!
Education
The final section of the resume lists educational information, as well as anything else that might be considered professional experience, such as continuing education, seminars, and other classes you have taken that are applicable to the job. Here you can also draw attention to any professional organizations and affiliations you belong to, as well as civic duties you perform and volunteer experience you have accumulated over the years, as long as it relates to the position you are attempting to win.
Always list the last degree completed first, without mentioning dates. For those with a college degree, there is no need to mention high school, as this will be assumed.
No one said job hunting was simple, so it’s important to do as much as possible to get your foot in the door. By using your resume as a powerful marketing tool, it will be much easier to successfully launch your career and snag the dream job you’ve always wanted.
And yet, in today’s vigorous job market, at a time when layoffs are the norm and competition for jobs is cutthroat, it’s more important than ever that your resume catch the eyes of the recruiter or resume screener, who may spend no more than 30 seconds on each resume during the initial selection process. This is why your resume has to be more than a document listing your various accomplishments and achievements – it must be a successful marketing tool.
A poorly constructed resume merely lists the applicant’s job history, using bullets to state past responsibilities, and entirely neglects to take advantage of marketing techniques that make a resume stand out from the crowd. You might be the hardest-working, most responsible individual around, but if your resume doesn’t make that clear, what will distinguish you from everyone else applying for the job, in the eyes of the hiring manager?
To avoid turning in a resume that blandly lists your qualities and work history, you must transform it into an accomplishment-driven piece of writing that clearly emphasizes the importance and relevance of each accomplishment.
It may not be easy to do this, but if you approach the process step-by-step, and use the basic sections of the resume to market your abilities, experience, and potential value to the employer, reworking your resume into a marketing machine is an attainable feat.
Starting From the Top
Arguably the most important part of the resume is the first three quarters of the page. Recruiters and screeners have to wade through stacks of resumes, so they tend to scan the first part of the first page to pare down the pile, initially. If you want to survive the preliminary cut, this section of your resume should be full of accomplishments that market your particular skills and capabilities to the specific employer and position.
Of course, your name and contact information appear in this section as well, but you should also include a professional summary in addition to, as mentioned above, the list of accomplishments.
Professional Summary
A professional summary is considered by many resume experts to be more effective than a stated “objective,” in today’s job market. It works as a sturdy introduction to a strong resume, and proves more powerful in the face of the 30-second scan because it offers the recruiter a snapshot of your most important attributes.
Use the summary as a short ad all about you. Include information in the first sentence or two regarding the type of position you’re looking for, and make it clear why you are different or better than the other applicants vying for the same position.
The final three or four sentences should identify your expertise and abilities that apply to the job in question. Make it clear why you can be an asset to the company! Acting as an introduction to the rest of your resume, the statements made in the professional summary need to be reinforced in the sections of the resume that follow.
Accomplishments
The accomplishments you decide to highlight in this section are important because past performance is a good indicator of what you can do for the company, if hired. Mentioning successes you have scored in the past is your best bet to landing an interview.
Just be sure to select 3-6 accomplishments that relate directly to the position you seek and make them quantifiable and measurable – provide answers to questions such as how many/much? Which one? What kind? This will add substance to the facts you have stated.
The best way to determine what accomplishments to list here is to think from the perspective of the employer. Recruiters want to know why you could be an asset to the company – perhaps you will save them time and money, or provide another favorable result? Highlight accomplishments that draw attention to your past successes in applicable areas of expertise.
The Body
This section of the resume profiles your professional experience. Here you make note of the companies you have worked for in the past, along with your title/position and the dates of employment (in years).
But be wary of falling into the trap of simply listing off your work experience. Even in this section of the resume, it’s extremely important to avoid compiling an inventory of job duties. Companies are interested in much more than surface achievements or responsibilities – they are looking for people who can translate success achieved in past jobs to a future position. Make it clear what you can contribute to the employer.
For instance, if your past role was that of “manager,” make it clear that this involved leading a team of people and successfully motivating them to complete tasks on budget and on time. If you worked as a cashier or bank teller, note that you were trusted with money and worked well in a customer service capacity. Any awards you won can also be stated in this section – just remember to quantify every statement you make!
Education
The final section of the resume lists educational information, as well as anything else that might be considered professional experience, such as continuing education, seminars, and other classes you have taken that are applicable to the job. Here you can also draw attention to any professional organizations and affiliations you belong to, as well as civic duties you perform and volunteer experience you have accumulated over the years, as long as it relates to the position you are attempting to win.
Always list the last degree completed first, without mentioning dates. For those with a college degree, there is no need to mention high school, as this will be assumed.
No one said job hunting was simple, so it’s important to do as much as possible to get your foot in the door. By using your resume as a powerful marketing tool, it will be much easier to successfully launch your career and snag the dream job you’ve always wanted.
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