Editors of CareerBuilder.com - Career Building: Your Total Handbook for Finding a Job and Making It Work

Finding The One

Rsums and Cover Letters

Writing Your Rsum

Making a Good Impression on Paper

Five Steps to an E-Friendly Rsum

Cover Letter Dos and Donts

Finding the Jobs

Where to Search

Search Online with Keywords

Cracking the Job Listing Code

Protecting Yourself from Scams

Using a Staffing Firm or a Recruiter

The Internet Vs. Your Professional Image

Whats Happening on the Employer End

Youve Got a Rep to Protect

Its Not All Bad

Damage Control

Interviews 101 and Beyond

Interview Basics

How to Answer Employers Questions

Questions to Ask the Employer

Interview Body Language

Hiring Manager Secrets

Interview Mistakes

Damage Control

Thank-You Notes

The Job Offer

Weighing the Job Offer

Get Paid What Youre Worth

Salary Negotiation

What to Say in Your Salary Talks

Tough Love at WorkWorkplace Fundamentals

Work 101

Your First Days on the Job

Career Poison

Taming Workplace Mess

Meetings

Defeating Distractions

Working from Home

Using, Not Abusing, Technology

E-Mail Gaffes

E-Mail: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Spies Like UsBig Brother at Work

IM-ing at Work

Cutting the E-Leash

Excuse Me? Calling in Sick and Coming in Late

Taking Tardiness to the Next Level

The Art of Playing Hooky

No Excuses: When You Should Take a Sick Day

Work Donts

Its Not Them, Its You

Turning Your Irritating Behavior Around

Worst Things to Say at Work

What You WearHead-to-Toe Taboos

Playing Nice with Co-Workers

Its Not You, Its Them

Dealing with Office Scoundrels

Using Happy Hour to Get Ahead

When Love Knocks on the Cubicle Wall

Whos the Boss?

Impress the Boss

Things You Should Never Say to the Boss

Questions You Should Ask the Boss

Sticky Situations

Moving on Up

Performance Reviews

Surviving a Bad Review

Pitfalls to Avoid When Asking for a Raise

When Your Job isnt Working Out

Burnout

Signs of Job Burnoutand What to Do About It

Coping with a Job You Hate

Quitting Time?

Its That Time

Job Searching on Company Time

Gathering Good References

Quitting Without Burning Bridges

Getting the AX

Signs Your Job Is in Danger

Dont Wait and See

How to Get Fired

So You Were Fired

Moving on

Certified Job-Hopper? Pros and Cons of Jumping from Job to Job

Are You Employable?

Taking the Freelancing Route

What Job Is Right for You?

Changing Careers

A Job for Every Need

Did you know that 84 percent of Americans say theyre not in their ideal jobs? Eighty-four percent!

With roughly 153 million people in the U.S. labor force and the average American poised to hold 10.5 jobs in his or her lifetime, one things for certain: Thats a lot of job dissatisfaction.

To guide you through the sometimes scary world of work, weve compiled this handbook for every step of your career. Why mess with one book for rsums, another for interviewing and still another for salary negotiation? (Not to mention the self-help books you might need once you start your job!) Weve got everything right here for you.

The editors of CareerBuilder.com, the United States largest online job site, have assembled insider tips and tools for any stage of your job search and career. Weve divided this book into three sections: job searching, managing your job and co-workers and moving on to the next big thing.

The bottom line: Going to work is a lot of work. But having a successful job search and positive working relationships isnt rocket science. It really comes down to some simple fundamentals. Forget about all that touchy-feely stuff; were giving work advice straight up. Its tough love. Were not going to tell you to plant a seed and watch it growsometimes you dont even have time to water it before you know its rotten!

Welcome to the puzzlingand often frustratingworld of rsums and cover letters. These are your first chances to make a positive, lasting impression and therefore need to be done right. Were not saying theres a one size fits all strategy, but well guide you through portraying your best professional self. Apply these steps to your rsum and cover letter writing and put them to the test. If you still dont see results, go back, review some of these sections, and start making some small adjustments. Eventually, youll get to the right combination. When you notice employers are calling more often and youre getting more interviews, youll know youre there.

WRITING YOUR RSUM

STEP ONE: THE FORMULA

Hiring managers spend an average of one minute scanning a rsum. You have just a short window of opportunity to convince them that youre either fabulous or the most boring person alive. Which is it gonna be?

Here are the elements that your rsum should include:

CONTACT INFORMATION: Your name (if your formal name is Abigail, but you go by Abby, use Abby), address, phone number, e-mail address and Web site. Make sure to use a professional e-mail address for your job applications. Employers arent likely to call HotPants1234@hotmail.com.

CAREER SUMMARY OR OBJECTIVE: These give the hiring manager an idea of who you are immediatelybefore spending the 60 seconds skimming your rsum and deciding whether to bring you in for an interview. Many job seekers equate a summary with an objective. While both are two to three sentences appearing at the top of your rsum, in reality, they are very different.

An objective states a job seekers desired job description, and is often ideal for people who are just starting out in the workforce or changing industries. Some words of warning: It could pigeonhole you and limit how employers see you.