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By on April 28, 2016 in Search Strategies

You’ve experienced the joy (and indeed relief) of collecting your degree and graduating from university. It’s an achievement of which you should rightly feel proud, although in the bigger picture it’s a means to an end rather than an end in itself. Now that you have that impressive qualification in the bag, it’s time to make the most of it and forge a lasting career – although that’s a whole lot easier said than done.

The unfortunate reality for graduates today is that the job market is extremely competitive, and you’ll need to be very sharp – and even a bit opportunistic – to fend off other applicants for a vacancy. After your graduation, the first step towards securing full-time employment is to have a resume that a recruiter simply cannot ignore. Amazingly, this does not come all that easily to intelligent, highly educated university graduates.

Without an excellent resume, an applicant simply doesn’t stand a chance of being hired, or even being considered for interview. Recruiters have little time to waste, so if they see that a candidate hasn’t even put together an adequate resume, they will simply dump the application and move on. Worse still, recruiters are swamped with the same basic mistakes that constantly appear on job applications – poor spelling, sloppy layout, outrageous claims, and unnecessary information.

Australian company Ayers (www.ayers.com.au) has produced this infographic which advises job seekers on how to write a resume. It pinpoints what needs to be included and, just as importantly, what should not be included at all. If you’ve recently graduated and you’re trying to land your first full-time job, take a few minutes to read the information below.

Image by Colin Cuthbert

Image by Colin Cuthbert

This article was contributed by guest author Colin Cuthbert.

By on June 15, 2015 in Resumes & Cover Letters
Image by Pimthida on Flickr

Image by Pimthida on Flickr

There was a time when innovation was expected from creative professionals while showcasing their skills through a proper resume. It grabbed the attention of employers at the first go; however, the effect was not long lasting. Soon this creativeness appeared as desperate appeals from the job seekers. There are myriads of creative job opportunities available in the market. We analysed what impresses employers when it comes to hiring creatives and came up with nine resume writing tips that keep in mind the challenges faced by these prolific professionals:

1. Relax your creative rendition
Since you are a creative professional, it is natural to present aesthetic cover letters and elegant resumes. While showcasing your creative abilities is relevant for the position you are applying for, you should also consider that the person at the hiring end might not be from the creative field. So what might be innovative and edgy to you might appear unprofessional to your recruiter. You can infuse artistic elements into your resume in bits and pieces; however, maintain a professional tone throughout.

2. Show your creative effects from a business perspective
Apart from mastering the skills, the creative pro should understand how his or her contribution helps in hiking the business. Analysis of your contribution to the business should be accentuated in your resume as the organization will always look at the business perspective while hiring you. Include percentages, numbers and growth statistics to convey to the employers that you have a good understanding of business.

3. Compress files where you can
Recruiters are not expected to assess portfolios of higher resolution. An alarming number of creative professionals fails to resize or compress their JPEGs or PDF image files. It is a red alert for a creative pro as it gives the impression that the job seeker is not clear with the basics of compressing files.

4. Give online links to your portfolios
Describe your work through a simple one-liner and provide the link to your online portfolio that will allow the recruiter to view your extensive projects. It is the easiest way to showcase your work that is professionally accurate as well.

5. De-clutter and keep it clean
Keep your resume as well as online portfolio as succinct as possible. Making it decorative and artistic might land you in a mess which can be considered unprofessional by your employer. When it comes to an online portfolio, make sure that the navigation is user-friendly and all your relevant work is listed in an organized manner. Format your resume properly and avoid relying on multimedia that might increase the load time of your page.

6. List your awards
Awards and certifications are the necessary spice in the resume of a creative professional. Don’t be shy in promoting the awards you have won for your work. Awards are the testimonials that speak for the creative pro. These determine if it is worth spending time reading over your resume and whether you’re fit for a role in the organization.

7. Show that you adhere to deadlines
Being creative without taking into account your deadlines will not give you an edge when it comes to hiring. You resume should give evidence of you working to a deadline. A creative pro is expected to show his or her talents on the spot.

8. Showcase your communication skills
Though people are hired for their creative abilities, they can be fired for not communicating their work. A creative professional should present his or her communication abilities in their resume so the recruiter understands that he is well versed with methods of communication within the organization.

9. Try not to make it offensive
Over the top designs and creativity does not go down well with the recruiter. Your artistic sense can be misinterpreted and potentially offend your recruiter. Art tweaks the emotional aspect of an individual, so your choice of images and words should evoke positivity, making your employer feel good about your resume.

Your resume should represent your talent, citing you as the perfect creative professional your employer needs.

This article was contributed by guest author Tina Jindal.