Fix Your Resume

Your resume is usually the first impression a potential employer will get of you.
It's an important the resume is properly formatted and free from spelling errors. Leave the fancy fonts for birthday cards and make it Times New Roman and 12 pt font. Basic, simple and to the point. You want them impressed with your content and not distracted by bold, crazy fonts.

So lets go! Build that resume;

Center on top your name address, phone and email. 

John Smith

00 Somewhere St

City, State Zip code

999-555-0000

email@email.com

Right under that you can put a short statement but this is optional. I usually leave it off. 
Under that should be your experience. 

Experience

Place of Employment                                                        City, State
Position                                                                             May 2013 - June 2015

Write a couple of sentences about what you did here.
"Coordinated day to day work flow of the office with special emphasis on processing sales and maintaining database."
Then bullet your skills. 

• Maintained sales database
• Processed incoming contracts
• Payroll

Do this for your last few jobs. After your experience comes education

Education

BS in Business from Some College 

Do any community service? Volunteer work? Put that next.

Community Service

5K for Cancer

Ran food drive for animal rescue

Boy Scout leader

School volunteer

After that list any special credits you have. Win an award for anything? Do any online writing, publishing, 

                                   ******************

Now the important part. SPELL CHECK! Read it over a few times. Read it out loud to be sure all your sentences make sense. Ask a friend or spouse to read it for you. Double check your email address and phone number. You want them to reach you so make sure that stuff is correct. 

Now that your resume is polished --->Go forth and conquer!   

Drop By for a Job Application

Dropping by a business to ask for a job application can be a good idea, but go dressed for success.

You never know who you'll meet when you walk through the door. Receptionist, manager, or janitor, everyone you meet matters. If the receptionist hands over your resume to the boss you don't want her to say, "He dressed in shorts and a tank top." If you wouldn't wear it to work, don't wear it to drop off your resume or fill out an application.

Go in dressed in clean, professional clothes. Even for a construction job, clean khaki's and a button down shirt go a long way in showing you want the job.

Make sure your resume is up-to-date, spell checked, and neat. Don't hand over a wrinkled, coffee stained piece of paper.

No resume? Ask to fill out an application.
Make sure you have information with you. Someone who will take the time to sit down and fill out the application will go further than the one who says, "Can I take it home?"  Applications will ask for your previous work history and references so make sure you can write them down. If you need to keep a list in your pocket or on your phone, do it. Be prepared. Fill it out neatly and make sure you know how to spell the names of the companies you've worked for and their information.

Be nice to everyone you meet at that place of business. You never know who has the bosses ear.

The Second Interview - How to ACE it!

You scored that illusive second interview. Great job! The company saw something in you and you are under serious consideration for the job. They liked you!

Now, it's time to wow them. Don't go in thinking you've aced it and are definitely in. I've seen more people blow this final step to the job than get it.  The questions might be tougher and some questions might be the same as last interview.

If they asked you to tell of an incident where your strength of customer service, organization, or handling difficult people showed through, don't use the same story you used in interview one. Make sure you have another event ready to tell.
I know sometimes it's hard to think on your feet when facing two or more professionals staring at you from across the desk. Prepare before you get there.

What are your strengths?
The second interview usually puts you in with bosses at a higher level. If they ask about your strengths it's time to list them. Not a time to brag, but state the facts. Are you good at computers? Organization? Selling? Tell them that and give some details. Why are you good at computers? Know Excel, Outlook, Publisher? What kind of databases have you worked in? Organizational skills? Do you put everything on a spread sheet? Believe in keeping accurate files so anyone can find things easily? How long have you been selling and what are your sales numbers?

That second interview can get you the job. Just make sure you go in prepared. Dress to impress, think over what you're going to say, and sell yourself!
Good luck out there!