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Many job seekers include a short reference on career objective in the resume. Adding a career objective statement helps to reflect the position you are applying for, the type of company you prefer, the experience and qualification you have and the value you can offer to the company at a glance. Usually this power statement reference is only with one to two lines of texts.

Having a clear career objective reference in the resume will greatly improve the result of getting an interview. By providing a reference of your qualifications and profession identity, the hiring manager will be able to quickly match an appropriate position for you.

How to write an objective statement for a resume? Here are some guidelines you can follow when working on your career objective summary.

1) To improve the effectiveness of your resume, you need to consider how much you want to customize your resume to match with a particular job requirement. If you are responding to a specific position in the advertisement, you should integrate the exact job title and keyword phrases used in the ad into your resume power statement.

2) Being as specific as possible with the career objective reference and offer a high-impact summary of what you can offer to the potential employer.

3) Avoid the common mistakes made by many job seekers. The most usual mistake made in writing an objective statement is being too general and vague. You can avoid falling into this same trap.
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Your employment history is where the reader will spend the bulk of their time (if they get to it!). This is where you provide evidence to back up the bold claims you make about yourself and your capabilities in your career summary section, and where you prove you can do the job that your objective statement says you want.

You want to describe a mix of responsibilities and accomplishments in your job history section. The two most common mistakes are:

* Listing too much detail — especially about mundane or negative things — so that the “wow factor” items get lost.
* Not describing the results your day-to-day efforts achieved.

These 4 items will demonstrate that you can do the job:
1. Hard skills required to do the job: technical skills, computer systems, software
2. Experience with those skills: responsibilities, depth and breadth of knowledge
3. Results: accomplishments, problem solving, highlights of your performance
4. Soft skills: communications, team work, management, leadership

The solution is a two-step approach:

First, think of your resume as your “greatest hits,” not your “complete anthology.” You can be positive and honest without detailing every setback.
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I need help deciding what career to choose! Have you been saying these words again and again? One of the most important decisions of a lifetime is choosing a career, and that is relevant whether you are a college student, a fresh graduate, or a middle-aged person. So before you make a career decision, it would be important to seriously consider your interests and personalitya”and that is called career planning. Career planning is, by the way, a lifelong process. It includes a lot of things such as choosing an occupation that is suitable for you, getting a job, emerging on your chosen job, changing careers, and retiring. If you are thinking about being successful in life, then you might have said this line a number of times already: I need help deciding what career to choose.

Well, you are not alone. Millions of people around the world have also been worrying about their career patha”students, fresh graduates, and even middle aged employees! I myself have also been in the stage of career planning. But hey, I am so busy getting my diploma so I need help deciding what career to choose. I kept bugging my friends and my family about these things, telling them seriously that I need help deciding what career to choose. I even resorted to seeking the professional help of my college career counselor to asses myself.

But do you know what? Because I am so busy with my thesis proposal, my quest for my career planning was put at the backenda”but I need help deciding what career to choose! Of course, who would not want to get successful in life? Ita(TM)s a good thing that www.123justsayyes.com has been offering help to people who are telling themselves that aoeI need help deciding what career to choosea You can gear up for the next big event of your life by reading their Free Report. All you have to do is fill out their online form to receive their newsletter.

Start right now, and move toward your dream. WWW.123justsayyes.com provides mentoring and coaching, no matter what you dream is. If you are one of those people that say aoeI need help deciding what career to choosea, then you have come to the right place! This site offers mentoring and coaching no matter what your dream is. They know and understand that you are making the decision of a lifetime.

I myself have been so busy that regularly visiting career centers can be an added chore. For this reason, I decided to make my career planning via the internet because I need help deciding what career to choose. You can do that too by visiting www.123justsayyes.com for a free report. Take this opportunity and be able to choose a career where you will be happy and productive. You will learn their formula of A+B+C, and a lot more! You can excel if you love what you are doing. So what are you waiting for? Start building your dreams now, and move towards it!

About the Author
The 123JustSayYes.com Free Report offers tips to help you move toward your dreams. They can help if you need help deciding deciding what career to choose, how to reinvent your career, start a new business, or become wealthy. Download my Free Report to learn first hand how you decide what career to choose and have the coaching and mentoring experience you need to make your dreams come true.

How to Write a Cover Letter

You could write the best resume in the world and be highly qualified for a job, but if your cover letter is poorly written, generic, or misguided, you can pretty much throw your chances out the window. The cover letter is your first, and sometimes your only opportunity to grab an employer's attention and let them know why your resume is worth reading. Since there are several different ways to write a cover letter, depending on the employer and the method of transmission, for example, here are some ways to make yours stand out along with some examples you can tweak to your liking.� Steps Before Writing the Letter

1. Update your resume. If you don't already have a resume, then write one. Ideally, the experiences and skills you list on your resume should be tailored to the particular position you're applying for, reflecting strengths that'll be desirable by your potential employer.

2. Research the target organization or business so you can include information or facts relating to your desired job or industry. This won't only help you in writing a relevant cover letter but it will also be useful if you get an interview. Some key items you should become familiar with:

* What’s the employer's mission? What do they promote as setting themselves apart from competitors?
* What kind of customer base does the employer cater to? What kinds of people are in their target market?
* What are the company or organization's values? Innovation? Service? Diversity? Sustainability?
* What’s the history of the employer? Who was the founder? How has the business or organization evolved?

3. Examine the job. Read the job description carefully. Check for the noted and assumed needs and determine the most important skills, qualifications and experience the employer is looking for. Write them down, and put a check mark next to the ones you’ve.

4. Find the name of the manager in charge of the department you want to work in. Use your network. Do you know someone who is in the company or industry? Can they help you? If not, call the HR department.

While Writing the Letter

1. Format the heading elements correctly. Line spacing and address conventions mainly apply for a paper cover letter. For an on the internet version that's not likely to be printed out, the date alone may be adequate, or not even required.

* Include your address at the top (in the right hand corner - approximately 1 inch down from the top of the page).
* Skip down 4 lines and enter the date.
* Skip down 4 more lines and enter the Contact Person, then the name and address of the company. Write to a specific person, not “To whom it might concern”, or “Dear Sir/Madam”, whenever possible.

2. Write the body of your letter with three or four paragraphs.

* In the first paragraph, tell the employer why you're writing to them in two or three sentences. Say the position you are applying for. Avoid the standard openings like “I wish to apply for the position of ___ advertised in ___”. Design your opening to get the reader to sit up and pay attention to what you can do. It's unnecessary to specify how you became aware of the position unless it's through a mutual contact or recruiting program. If you're writing a letter of interest (also known as a prospecting or inquiry letter), in which you're asking about positions that might be available, specify why you’re interested in working for the employer.
* In the next one or two paragraphs, outline your qualifications and match them to the requirements of the position. Show enthusiasm and a desire to help the company reach its goals. Show the employer what you can contribute to their bottom line, not what you want to get out of the deal. Use what you've researched about the employer's background and history. Try to make two or three solid points, backed up by specific examples. Relate some relevant details about the company so the employer knows you did some research ahead of time.
* In the final paragraph, include a positive statement or question that’ll cause the employer to want to take action. Make this closing paragraph between 2-4 sentences. Direct the employer to the enclosed resume, make your availability known for an interview, and if you want to be assertive, state when you'll contact them to set up a meeting time to discuss the opportunity in further detail. Provide your own contact information (phone number, e-mail address) and welcome them to get in touch. It's very important to complete off by thanking the employer for their time and consideration.

3. Conclude with “Yours sincerely,” (if you've addressed the letter to a named person), “Yours faithfully,” (if you’ve used a “Dear Sir” approach) or “Regards,” and leave four blank lines to sign your name in blue ink. If you use black ink, they may think it is a copy. If this is online, leave only one or two blank lines.

4. Proofread. This is essential. Some things to look out for are:

* Be sure you've spelled everything correctly.
* Avoid using the passive voice (e.g. “This experience gave me the chance to…”). You don't want to sound like everything happened to you. Make yourself the active subject of each sentence (e.g. In this experience, I developed/reinforced/learned/etc.”). But that doesn't mean each single sentence should begin with “I…” so vary your syntax accordingly.
* Break down any contractions (e.g. “I've” to “I have”).
* Avoid colloquial (informal) writing. You want to sound professional, objective, and educated.
* Check the punctuation use carefully.
* Keep the letter to one page — the purpose of the cover letter is to get the hiring manager to read your resume! If the letter is spilling onto a second page, it's time to tighten your points and edit the fluff.
* Your tone should be upbeat, professional and informative. The employer wants to know what you can do for them, so sell yourself and your skills in a positive way. Keep that in mind as you write and proofread each paragraph.

Cover Letter Exercise

Answer the following questions, then use each answer in the corresponding spot of the sample cover letter:

1. Name of person you are addressing the contact letter to.
2. Your role or current job.
* “graduate student in environmental science”
* “customer service professional”
3. A general description of your accomplishments/experiences in the field to which you’re applying.
* “fifteen years of customer service”
* “an outstanding background in scientific research and discovery”
* “a solid history of dependability in the automotive industry”
4. A positive description of the employer.
* “what many consider to be the most progressive medical institution in the state of Rhode Island”
* “a well-established company with a long history of gourmet creativity”
5. Assets you can offer to the company. List one to three.
* “extensive experience with start-ups”
* “demonstrated ability to solve problems”
* “refined capability to manage teams”
6. Key skill/experience/accomplishment, and how it can help the company achieve its mission. List two to three of these. Be specific.
Dear (1):

As a (2) with (3), I'm eager to contribute my abilities and experience to (4). Given my (5), I believe I have the ability to help (employer name) achieve its mission and goals as a (position). (6) I would like to continue contributing my capabilities and experiences to (employer name) and would be happy to discuss in further detail how I accomplish this. My resume is enclosed for your convenience. Feel free to contact me at (phone number and/or e-mail address). I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Regards,

(Your name)

Tips

* A good cover letter should not sound like a re-hash of your resume. It should pull highlights from your resume and tie it gracefully with the job description. Consider it a bridge between your resume and the position you're seeking.
* Make your cover letter visually appealing and coordinated with your resume. Use the same personal information block in the heading of your cover letter and your resume. A cohesive resume package is a very attractive selling point. If using paper (i.e., not online), use the same high quality paper for the cover letter as for your resume. At the same time, don't overdo the style elements. One type font is never wrong (unless you're in the arts).
* Be concise. Never use two words when one will do (avoid verbosity).
* The more unconventional the employer, the more leeway for creativity you’ve in writing a cover letter.
* You don't have to explain everything. You might leave the employer wishing to learn more about you.

Courtesy wikiHow - the Hot-to Manual That You Can Edit

Fine-tune network skills for job hunts Connect without wrecking prospects

An e-mail that a veteran marketing executive recently blitzed to 12,000 contacts begins: “On Sept. 11, to my complete and utter surprise, I was terminated …”

She identified her ex-employer and why the small market-research firm fired her. Copies of her message inadvertently landed in her old boss's inbox, prompting the company to make her sign a separation agreement limiting how she spoke about her departure, her attorney said.
The otherwise effective technique could have been hassle-free. Broadcasting bad news about your job is a bad idea.

“I am a prolific networker,” the dismissed executive said in an interview.

But in hindsight, she concedes, the emotionally charged e-mail “wasn't the most professional or politic way to do it.”

Everyone knows you must network to find work following a job loss.

Too often, however, unemployed people make networking missteps, prolonging a job hunt.

A common flub involves name-dropping without knowing how a contact feels about the person.

A few weeks ago, an out-of-work executive phoned recruiter Jane Howze for permission “to stop by your office and have you look at my resume.” He cited an unimpressive candidate whom she met once in 2000 but never referred to an employer.

Howze, a managing director at Houston's Alexander Group, refused to see the job seeker. “He was a little presumptuous,” she states.

Exaggerating your relationship with mutual acquaintances can set you back, too.

Recruiter Fred Whelan conferred with a financial-services marketing vice president soon after his layoff because he had claimed to be a client's friend.

But when asked how he knew the client, “he awkwardly explained that they weren't really friends, he just knew of her,” remembers Whelan, a partner at Whelan Stone in San Francisco.

The recruiter cut short their session and ignored the prospect's subsequent e-mails.

Whelan also gets peeved when jobless applicants he fruitlessly wooed while employed suddenly crave his attention. That happened after a vice president for a video-game publisher lost his position last year.

“He never acknowledged that he had been unresponsive in the past and so I didn't meet with him,” Whelan says.

A smarter strategy: Apologize for spurning recruiters' past feelers.

You also may sabotage an informational interview by ending up asking for a job.

The question puts contacts in an awkward spot, especially because “the majority of the time, the answer is no,” notes Damian Birkel, founder of Professionals in Transition, a support group.

A jobless broadcast-industry executive alienated former colleagues and acquaintances with opening remarks such as, “I'm networking. Do you have anything I’ve the capability to look at in terms of a job?” He expressed zero interest in their careers.

“I don't really care about them. I just want a job,” he told John McKee, a career coach and author in Thousand Oaks, Calif. It took the executive 14 months to find work.

Networking “is supposed to be mutually beneficial,” McKee states. Even initial e-mails should include an offer of reciprocal help.

You might say, “If you need contact information in our industry, I'd be happy to pass along some names as well,” recommends Steve Swanson, a managing partner for recruiters Princeton One in Princeton, N.J.

“Giving back is very important,” agrees Kevin Gillespie, an unemployed sales and marketing manager from Old Westbury, N.Y.

Introductions that he arranged inside and outside the chemicals-and-plastics industry since his September layoff have begun to bear fruit.

Experts recommend that you reiterate offers of assistance — and alert individuals about any results from their suggested leads.

Bothering contacts excessively also can weaken networking efforts.

An unemployed former sales director at a software business e-mailed Whelan Stone each month for a year. Each message contained the same subject line, introduction and pitch.

The firm replied only once. “This was incredibly annoying,” Whelan complains.

A jobless ex-senior executive at a telecom concern wore out his welcome with many prior associates, sometimes phoning several times a day, according to McKee.

He reached out “again and again until they would no longer even return his calls,” the coach recalls.

McKee persuaded the executive instead to schedule his phone chats through e-mails that proposed dates and topics.

Acquaintances “appreciated his respect for their time,” the coach reports. The man landed a job in August.

It isn't absolutely clear, however, whether casting a wide net hurts job hunts. Diane Darling, founder of Effective Networking, a Boston consultancy, favors targeting close contacts.

The marketing manager who e-mailed 12,000 contacts disagrees. “I don't want to discourage people from doing this,” she says.

A youth marketing bureau expressed interest in hiring her immediately after receiving her Sept. 28 missive.

She joins the New York firm in January. When she sent out an e-mail blast trumpeting her new job, she got hundreds of hearty congratulations.

Try Searching Instead of Planning for Career Success - Anne Zelenka

Instead of planning your career top down, you might find a bottom up search process more effective. Planning works for well-defined and well-understood situations — for example, following a well-trod career path such as medicine or law. Searching relies on trial and error and adjusting your actions based on what’s happening moment by moment. Searching can be more effective for new and uncertain contexts such as you find on the quickly changing web.

This week’s tip was inspired by an uncommon source: journalist Virginia Postrel writing on aid provided to developing countries. She points to an Atlantic article by Sarah Chayes about U.S. funding agencies’ lack of interest in providing help with a small-scale development effort in Afghanistan.

Postrel says, “Aid agencies reward ‘planners,’ who work from the top down, while effective aid requires ’searchers,’ who rely on trial and error and local knowledge.” In that case, the local knowledge includes understanding of current micro-level cultural and economic factors.

In the case of web work, you will also need to use local knowledge — knowledge of whatever field you want to succeed in as well as understanding of the financial constraints and opportunities you face. One great way to get that local knowledge is through action and experimentation.

To use a search strategy to move forward in your career, take small steps towards what you think you might like to do (and what might reward you financially), stopping and checking often to see if you’re getting the results you want. When you search, you’ll spend relatively more time acting and checking results and relatively less time setting goals and trying to predict an uncertain future.

Do you resonate with the idea of searching? Or are you more of a planner?

Lily is a lovely, talented graphic designer who works for a vibrant top design studio downtown. Only a few weeks after she has started, major clients begin requesting to work with her. They like Lily's fresh creative approach, her friendly appearance and willingness to go the extra mile to achieve outstanding results for them.

Lily has each reason to be proud and happy. However, she's getting more and more tired, depressed and frustrated, loosing enthusiasm for her job. Why? Lily has noticed that while her colleagues are working at two, maximum three projects at a time with at least one assistant by their side, Lily often has to manage up to five projects with no assistant at all.

“I don't know what to do”, she sighs. “Sometimes I begin work at 6 am and stay until way after midnight. But no one seems to notice, let alone care.” To her it doesn't seem fair after all the good work she does and she’s eager to find out how she could bring the topic up in a conversation with her boss without sounding too desperate or angry.

By the way, Lily's boss appreciates her and often commends her youngest and most successful designer in front of clients. When asked how Lily reacts to those compliments, her answer doesn't come as a surprise to an experienced career or communication coach: “Mostly I say: 'It was nothing' or 'It really wasn't a massive deal'. I don't feel comfortable if she makes such fuss about it.”

Tell me, if you were Lily's boss would you ask Lily whether she needs any help when apparently she achieves great success single handedly even when working on multiple projects with tight deadlines? My guess: you would not and that is exactly the clue to solving the problem. If you work hard and deliver good results you need to learn to speak about them or they’ll go unnoticed.

It's a very common phenomena observed when people complain about not getting appropriate rewards for their hard and obviously successful work: Lily - like many other professionals , in particular women - trips over her own modesty. When we were children we were all told not to show off our accomplishments. We were taught to be modest. Fair enough! No one likes people who boast with their achievements.

However, if you take this childhood lesson as seriously as Lily, you might not get where you want to - especially in your career. If you want to get a superior job or your well deserved promotion, try this:

# If you work hard for your success, simply state so calmly and friendly and no one will take it as showing-off.

# If someone congratulates you, look him or her straight in the eye, smile and say: “Thank you. Yes, it took me many hours and weekends to complete the project. I'm really proud of the outcome and I'm very happy that you appreciate it.”

# Delete sentences like “It was nothing” forever. Never ever downplay your success. If you downplay it everyone else will.

Workplace has become a fast paced and competitive place. If you want that your success is being noticed you need to promote yourself. The good news is that you can learn how to do that even if you're the kind of person who likes not to stand in the spotlight. How? Get a communication coach who will show you simple and easy-to-use techniques how to talk about your successes while feeling good about it. Enroll in a course that's specialised in the art of effective but subtle self-promotion where you'll find great ideas and also like minded people.

Good work resulting in excellent outcomes is worth to be talked about. And so are you! Take action! Get your credits, get your promotion! You deserve it!

Claudia Raab is an internationally experienced journalist, communications professional and as director of Raab & Raab Performance Consulting.

DO trim your resume back to the most current 10, 15, or 20 years. Your resume is a marketing document. It is NOT an autobiography. Readers want to know what you've done recently to add value in the companies you have been associated with. Skills, experiences, and achievements from 25 or 30 years ago or more are almost certainly irrelevant at this point. But, if those early experiences are still relevant, you do have options…

DON'T be afraid to mention early experience that’s still relevant. Just don't mention the dates associated with it. You might select to highlight the undated achievements or qualifications in the summary profile section of your resume. Or, another effective strategy is to summarize that experience at the end of your resume. Your description should be concise. Just one or two sentences that begin with the words “Additional experience includes…” will usually suffice.

DO be creative and strategic in how you list employment dates on your resume. Don't feel locked in by the traditional way of including dates. For example, I recently worked with an executive candidate who had three years with his current employer but more than 35 years of progression with his last employer. Traditionally, on a resume, you would show the total span of years with each company and then the dates in each position (illustrating progression). But this method clearly wouldn't work for this client because he began working for that last employer sometime in the mid 1960s - a date that we didn’t want to include on the resume. So instead, we left off the total dates with each company and just listed dates in each position, going back approximately 15-20 years. Like this:

Employer 1, location

Current position (20xx - Present)

Employer 2, location

Position a (20xx - 20xx)

Position b (19xx - 20xx)

Position c (19xx - 19xx)

Position d (19xx - 19xx)

** Additional experience includes…

DON'T leave dates of education off of your resume unless you've a good strategic reason to do so. One of the most common errors that I see are dates of education left off the resume when they should not be left off. For example, if you earned your degree 15 years ago and began working in your current career track the same year, you’ll actually raise questions about your age by not including your degree dates. The dates on your degree tend to shut the “loop” and eliminate age-related questions in the mind of the resume recipient. But if you leave the dates off, the recipient will assume you're hiding your age and are older than your work experience indicates. On the other hand, if you have shortened your resume to the most current 10, 15, or 20 years, and your most current degree was earned earlier than a year or two before that cut off point, it is probably in your best interest to leave the dates off the resume.

DO be proud of your age and the associated experience and perspective that you bring to your employers. Although - in most cases - you should not emphasize and draw attention to your age, do recognize that you bring to the workplace a value offering unmatched by your younger competitors in the job market. Your self-assurance and confidence will encounter in your resume and during interviews.

DON'T forget to fill your resume with accomplishments and results that illustrate your personal brand and the unique promise of value that you bring to the workplace. Position yourself for the position. Demonstrate through past accomplishments and value add that you are the perfect candidate for the job. When your resume is filled with accomplishments that illustrate you will deliver a strong return on an employer's investment in hiring you, your age will NOT even be an issue.

DO create a resume that showcases achievements that illustrate the traits most valued in older workers - your credibility, your depth and breadth of experience, your judgment and decision-making abilities, your range of professional contacts, your work ethic and reliability, your emotional stability, and your commitment to company goals. Subtly, in your resume and cover letter, touch on achievements that illustrate a high energy level, strong technical skills, and adaptability to change.

Nationally certified resume writer and career marketing expert, Michelle Dumas is the director of Distinctive Career Services LLC.

8 Signs It's Time to Look for a New Job

Short of being handed your walking papers, there are often telltale signs that it's time to look for a new job. You haven't been promoted since the Clinton administration. The most exciting assignments are routinely handed to your peers or underlings. Your desk keeps moving farther and farther from where the action is.

But some indicators are less obvious, such as subtle shifts in an IT organization's structure that can result in career stagnation. A variety of career experts, headhunters, recruiters, CIOs and IT staffers shared their takes on when it's time to move on.

1. Your role has become marginalized.

If you're being bypassed for promotions or interesting assignments, or they're consistently being offered instead to IT workers in subordinate positions, “that would be an obvious sign,” says Robert Rosen, CIO at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in Bethesda, Md., and a past president of Share, an IBM user group in Chicago.

Often, the handwriting is on the wall. You just need to cease, step back and read it. “If you feel like you're no longer contributing, there's a good chance you might not be,” states Frank Hood, CIO at The Quiznos Master LLC in Denver.

2. You've stopped growing.

“If you're not learning each day, if you're not doing new things, and if you're not improving” it's time to move on, states Sara Garrison, senior vice president of product and solutions development at Sabre Holdings Corp. in Southlake, Texas.

Red lights should be flashing if you've effectively been in the same role for two or three years and haven't taken on any significant new challenges during that time, states Umesh Ramakrishnan, vice chairman of CTPartners, an executive recruiting firm in New York.

3. You're missing from the large picture.

Most CIOs assemble a road map of where they intend to take their organizations over the next 12 to 60 months, including the top IT/business projects they plan to work on, notes Joe Trentacosta, CIO at the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative Inc. in Hughesville, Md. So, if there are a lot of upcoming projects that don't include your area of expertise or in which you figure to play a minor role at best, “that's a warning sign,” he states.

Further, if you've been relegated to a commodity-type IT function that offers little value to the organization or can easily be outsourced, “it's time to move on to a new opportunity,” states Hans Keller, chief technology officer at the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

4. You're being excluded.

If you're a CIO or other senior IT manager, the warning signs can include not being asked to participate in new business decisions or being excluded from formal or informal executive committee meetings, says Craig Urrizola, CIO at Saladino's Inc., a Fresno, Calif.-based food distributor.

The view is equally bleak if you're an IT staffer whose input on new projects is no longer requested or is sought out on just a limited basis.

5. Your level of influence is waning.

A CIO certainly has more clout within an organization than a network engineer. But all IT professionals possess some level of influence within their work teams or at least among their own peer groups. If you see your powers of persuasion shrinking, it's time to move on, Keller advocates.

6. You no longer enjoy the work.

“Someone once told me that we're not here for a long time; we're here for a good time,” states Michael Nieset, managing partner for the technology practice at the Cleveland office of executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. “Sometimes people stay in suboptimal situations because it's comfortable for them. You've to take control.

“If you're not excited about the projects you're working on, fix it,” he states. “If you're wholly engaged, passionate about what you're doing and doing what you're good at, you'll be fulfilled and rewarded accordingly. “

7. Continuous improvement isn't part of the mantra.

Sometimes there are organizational changes — or lack thereof — that you should regard as career alerts. These include stagnation within a corporation or an IT department. If your IT organization has been using the same application-development techniques for 15 years and has made no effort to update its approach, “then something's wrong,” states David Van De Voort, principal consultant at Mercer LLC in Chicago. If your company is unwilling to invest in continuous improvement processes such as CMMI, ITIL or Six Sigma, it may be time to seek a company that's, he adds.

8. Greener pastures truly are greener.

If you've reached a crossroads where you've become disenchanted with your employer for one reason or another (long hours, infrequent promotions, career malaise, etc.), and you've received a job offer from another company, it might be the right time to jump ship. “In situations where things don't fix themselves — if you hate what you're doing, or you're not proud of what you're doing, or there's an issue you need to speak to your boss about but you don't because you know it won't do any good — that's when it's time to look for a new job,” states Joel Reiter, an application analyst at U.S. Bancorp in St. Paul, Minn.

In this situation, however, be certain that you're not jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. Make sure you're moving toward a good opportunity and not just moving away from one that has gone bad.

These days, many companies anticipate you to send an electronic resume and cover letter instead of mailing them. It's faster and easier for both the employer and the employee. While this is done for several reasons, the main reason is that the number of resumes, especially for virtual positions, is usually very high. In order to cut down on the time it takes to process each applicant's resume, companies have resorted to using on the web resume databases or instructing applicants to email resumes to one person in the office in order to save time and find the right person for the position as quickly as possible.

Creating a Virtual Resume

Creating a virtual resume is similar to creating a traditional resume. While you should include all the basic sections in an electronic resume, you might need to format it differently so the document isn't a jumbled mess when the hiring manager receives it. When creating your resume, you should create four different versions of it - a standard print version, an e-mail version, a scan-friendly version, and a plain text version. By creating different formats all at once, you will save yourself a lot of time when applying for virtual positions.

The standard print version can be used when companies specifically ask you to send one to their offices, or when you’re turning in an application in person. An e-mail resume is a easy version that does not include bold or italicized headings. It is more straight-forward with simple headings that indicate a new section. If sending an email resume, always check it first before sending it. If duplicating it from a word processing program like MS Word, you might need to modify it to fit the email program you're using. Changing the font size, style, and making sentences shorter are common ways to make an email resume more appealing.

A scan-friendly version of your resume is also less complex than a standard print version. You should remove bold or italicized headings because those can appear blurry or faint to the reader. Plain text versions should be composed in MS Word or other word processing program so you can check for grammar and spelling errors. You can easily cut and paste your completed resume into MS notepad or other plain text program. You can use this version when uploading your resume into a company database.

Sending Your Virtual Resume

Always follow the company's instructions when it comes to sending a resume. If the company wants you to send the resume in an email instead of an attachment to the email, make sure you do so. As a potential virtual employee, you need to show employers that you can follow directions.

Always include a cover letter in your email. This should be your standard cover letter. It is considered unprofessional not to send a cover letter.

Before sending the email, check to make sure you're using the correct email address. If the company asks you to use specific words in the subject line, do so. If not, use the job title in the subject line.

When uploading your resume into a company's database, make sure that you include keywords that are relevant to the job position within the body of the resume. Use words from the ad, the title of the position, or other words you feel are applicable. Don't grant your resume to become lost in the system, take the time to find keywords that'll make your resume stand out.

Keep in mind that electronic resumes are much easier to discard if they’re not formatter properly. Depending on the number of responses a hiring manager receives, they might discard all resumes that are formatted incorrectly before reading them just to make their job easier. Make your resume stand out by sending a professional document that has been edited and formatted correctly.

Melissa Brewer is the author of The Little White Ebook of Homeshoring Jobs, a complete guide to work-at-home call center employment.