Your Resume Is Professionally Produced And Formatted

Do you keep losing out to people that probably aren't as qualified as you? These days it's not so much about who is best suited to the role, it's more about who is best prepared for the interview process. This also includes being ready and able to communicate their value and worth during the interview. This is one of the most critical and yet highly overlooked pieces of job seeking skills.

If you don't have this skill, and one of your competitors does, you could easily lose out, even you are better suited to the job. This is even more likely if their resume is professionally produced and formatted. It is not uncommon for the job hunter to mistakenly assume that the potential employer is easily able to sort the highly
qualified from the less qualified job applicants. When you consider that you will be competing with hundreds, possibly thousands of other job seekers, you will appreciate that your chances of being successful are significantly reduced. Then when you take into account that your potential employer is likely to have a 'screening' process in which the goal is to reject as many applicants as possible before actually looking to see who might be suitable, you are sure to realize that you really do need to do something that makes you stand out.

Less than 5% of job seekers take the time to invest in a professional, high quality resume. Do you think, of all those potentially qualified applicants, if you are the one with the resume that stands out, that your chances of being selected might increase exponentially? 

Once you have been selected to take part in the interview process, then it is up to you to communicate, to the potential employer, that you are not only the best qualified applicant but you are also ready, willing, and able to do the job at the highest level.

Every potential employer will want to see a resume from you and it is the quality of that resume that will determine who gets a job interview. Your resume is tantamount to a sales brochure about you. After having read your resume the potential employer should have a better understanding of who you are and your possible suitability for the advertised role. It serves to get the employer better acquainted with you so that, hopefully, they can decide if they want to get to know you better.

The resume is the first step. It is your introduction to an employer and it is where the employer will get their first impression of you. First impressions really do count! If you make a poor first impression, you'll never get to take part in the job interview process. You will never get a second chance to make a first impression, so make the most of the chance you get.

The best part about developing a high quality professional resume is that all of the hard work has been done for you. Almost every high quality resume will follow the same general formatting, so you don't need to change that part of it. After all, there is absolutely no point in reinventing the wheel. You want a resume that is bold, exciting, and enticing but also a little be conservative. In other words, it needs to stand out but avoid being flashy at the same time. You must show that you are confident of your own abilities, but not sound like you are blowing your own trumpet. It is good to appear eager to do the job, but not so much that you sound desperate. 

There is an extremely fine line that you must walk in order to produce the best possible resume. You want to use intelligent language, however, you don't want to go overboard with hyperbole, or uncommon words or phrases. It is important to use everyday language whenever possible. Obviously, if you are applying for a highly technical position, it will be necessary to use some of the technical terms and specialized lingo that is used in that particular profession. As a general rule of thumb you should keep everything simple and straight to the point.

The word resume comes from the French language and is defined as "use of past participle of resume mar to resume, sum up". Therefore it is the purpose of a resume to summarize your experience, knowledge, skills and accomplishments. In the spirit of summarizing, it is therefore, important that your resume is from 1 to 3 pages long. Don't be tempted to make your resume any longer than this, even if you have a lot to tell, after all you certainly don't want to bore the reader...

Of equal importance is the overall appearance of your resume. The first thing any potential employer, or personnel manager, evaluating your resume will notice is it's appearance. There are a number of things you can do to improve on the overall appearance of your resume. Using a higher quality of paper to print your resume on is easily the simplest thing you can do if you are sending a potential employer a printed copy of your resume. Pick out a nice looking, more expensive grade of paper. The next thing to consider is the quality of the content in the resume. It's very important that you make sure the writing on your resume looks good so be sure to use a clear and easy to read font.

Never overcrowd the resume. Leave some "white space" so that important points can appear to pop out. Never, ever, submit a resume with handwritten corrections. You can highlight sections of a resume by using a different typeface or size or by using "bullet points." If possible, use larger font, and bold, for the headings used in the separate sections of the resume. It is important that you don't try to be too fancy by using different colors and cute graphics. 

A simple, structured, factual resume is all you need. Last but not least when assessing your resumes appearance is its accuracy. Make sure that you use spell checker and get someone else to proof read your work before you start applying with it. Mistakes will not paint you in a good light. Make sure that the grammar and punctuation is correct. Be sure that all of your columns and margins line up, use the 'Tab' button to do this. Ensure that all of your facts are correct and accurate. Potential employers will note all inaccuracies and wonder why they appear in your resume.

Acoustics and Lack of a Microphone

The speaker who does a lot of presentations across a wide range of audiences will, at some stage or another, find himself unexpectedly having to present to an audience without a microphone. Today, the use of the microphone is commonplace and I've already written about microphones as a subject. But what we need to know is what to do when that instrument is not provided? - or what to do if it fails and cannot be fixed. The answer to these two questions depends entirely on the circumstances. I will describe a few of them below.

There are times when no matter how much the program organizer pleads, if you are sensible - remembering that your voice is your most important 'tool of trade,' you should refuse to go on. Such a situation happens but rarely. I've grumbled at lot, but refused only once, and at that time, after a lengthy delay - which had lots of people embarrassed - a workable microphone did eventually arrive. Quite likely somebody had to drive somewhere to obtain it. It seemed to take that long.

I had no option. It was a big meeting in a big hall and in another hall right behind it there was a very rowdy children's Christmas party going on!

Okay, that rarity out of the way, what other time is it advisable to refuse to present without a microphone? In a word, 'Outside.' I'm talking about outside in the open air to a large audience. When you're outside in a park, for example, and you're asked to speak to a lot of people for a long time, just don't do it. Chances are you'll give your voice a terrible beating. It could be hoarse and sore for days. Yes, even if you're very experienced and have mastered voice projection. You see, without something to rebound against, your voice will be projecting mainly into thin air.

A lot will be lost to the sky. You message will attenuate in proportion to distance and, with no reflective surfaces, it is likely that only those within forty or fifty feet of you will hear you clearly enough to know what you're saying. And, you need to remember that sounds are coming in towards you from 'the world out there' which those listeners also have to contend with.

Yes, I have tried speaking in the so-called, soapbox, situation with people passing by along public pathways through an inner city park. Some did stop for a while; many just cocked a hand to an ear and kept walking. Others simply walked by as if I wasn't there. You might infer from this that my speech was no good or badly delivered. Not, so, it was the same presentation that many an audience has lauded to high heaven "as one of the best I've ever heard." It wasn't the content. It was the environment. So don't speak outside without a microphone. Unless, of course...

The Ancient Greeks and Romans had the right idea. Three thousand years before the advent of microphones they had invented, developed and built the amphitheater. Oval or circular or half-circles on stone steps, each flint-hard seat rising above the other, the speaker standing at the bottom and centre of this circle, his voice projecting and being reflected from a wall of hard rock all round. These were outdoor auditoriums built for naked voice projection.

There are modern amphitheaters, of course. Usually sound systems are provided in such, but if they're not working or not available - provided the area is not too large - the 'naked voice' will do the job. But in most instances as a speaker without a microphone, you'll not be in an amphitheater. They're not that common. So here are a few generalities about most venues, their advantages and shortcomings.

Room size. First thing to consider: the size of the room. Bigger the room the more you'll need the ability to project powerfully. Where you stand in relation to the audience needs to be considered here. In a rectangular room it is sometimes advisable to stand with your back towards one of the longer walls. This could well put you closer to the audience overall. The more equidistant you are to each listener the better. Usually, though, you have no option, the chairs and podium area have already been set up. 

Shape of the room is important. Most rooms are square or rectangular but not all.

Ceiling height. The higher the ceiling, the more easily the sound is lost to the audience below. Also be aware of speaking beneath a dome. I've been trapped that way. You can hear the reverberation or echo of your own voice coming back to you - very disconcerting. Never stand with a small-domed ceiling directly overhead whilst speaking into the rest of the room.

Surfaces. You've probably been to one of those restaurants where you can barely hear the voice of a friend sitting beside you, let alone someone on the other side of the table because, in this crowded environment, there was simply too much noise.Stone or marble floor, tiled walls, solid concrete pillars and such. Every surface reflecting ever tiny bit of sound; not only voices, but clangs and bangs from the kitchen, the open doorways or windows letting in traffic sounds etcetera - bedlam! The deduction: hard surfaces reflect; soft ones absorb. You need always to keep this in mind.

Hard or soft surfaces do not only include walls, floors and ceilings. Everything from the type of furnishings, curtains, paneling, types of seat - bare metal or upholstered and padded - numbers of people in the audience. The more people there are the more your voice will be absorbed by their physical presence.

Huge audience. Of course, if the audience is massive, two, three, five hundred people - forget about speaking without a microphone. Just apologize to the speaker adviser and wait for them to solve the problem. If they can't, then it's up to them to do the apologizing to that great crowd. And once thing you can almost be sure of. He or she will ensure that it never again happens to them.

Historic Trade Associations

You are a small retailer, importer, exporter or a manufacturer you will always benefit from the support and services of a Trade Association. Simply in every field of trade and industry in every country you will find regional, national and international Trade Associations. It is estimated that there are more than 90,000 Associations around the world.

By looking at the numbers, you see their popularity but what are Trade Associations and why they are so important?

In this article you will learn more about Associations and their role in the modern business world.

First Let's Explain What They Are:

A Trade Association is a member based organization which is funded by a group of people or businesses in a specific industry to facilitate collaboration between companies. They defend their members' interests by advertising, producing standards for industry, lobbying, publishing magazines or newsletters, producing exhibitions or conferences, networking, finding new customers or potential suppliers for member businesses by arranging trips and meetings and last but not least education by offering educational materials or courses. Trade Associations are governed by bylaws and managed by officers who usually are members.

Now let's talk about the history of Trade Associations and review their evolution throughout history.

The first Society, the Academia Secretorum of Naples was born in 1560. During the next century other societies spread throughout Europe in London, Paris and Italy.

In 16th century, United Kingdom's first associations were born by name Guild, to protect interests of merchants and craftsmen. The well-known Royal Society of London, which was founded in 1662, is one of the examples. They set rules for wages and work hours and they also offered education by training skills. In 1800s, Guilds were working closely with local governments. 

The first Association which remains in existence was formed in 1768 by 20 merchants in New York and they named it Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York. Another example is American Seed Trade Association which was founded in 1883. After this time more regional associations came into existence around the country but most of them were local Associations. After the civil war and the vast expansion of the country's industrial capabilities, many local and national Associations were formed in order that manufactures could find new markets and expand their businesses. By 1900 almost 100 national and state
Associations were active across United States to ensure their competitiveness in the market.

Although the Trade Associations services were helping businesses to stay competitive in the market, with growing demands for products, soon they decided to take advantage of the situation and use it to create monopolies and price fixings. This matter changed with the introduction of antitrust laws and the decision of US Supreme Court, ruling on the openness of pricing exchange information. 

World Wars I and II drastically increased the number of Associations and they became a valuable resource by providing industry statistics to the government.

Today Trade Associations continue to maintain their essential role as intermediaries between government and businesses and also in helping businesses to expand by finding new markets while improving products' quality by setting standards. 

Effective Tips For Postcard, Designing and Printing

Eye-catchy and one needn't open it to read what is written on it. There is no necessity for envelopes that would actually attract the clients to open and see what is inside it. A good customized card would stand apart from the rest of the marketing materials and would reach the message to the customers on time. It can be called a way to attract the customer to either call the company or visit the website which would further lead to sales. They don't have any lengthy set of words that would be boring to the customers. 

They are really short and crisp, and deliver the message in a sentence or two. But, many people find designing a proper postcard as a gargantuan task as they don't know the tips and shortcuts that they can utilize to design them. Though printing them is less difficult and needs proper care and attention, still it is not an unmanageable task. If you want to print a postcard for professional or business purpose, then you must hire a professional custom postcard printing services.

But, while designing and printing customized postcards certain things should be followed.

Tips and Tricks for Better Custom Postcard Designing and Printing

The custom postcards should be visually appealing to the customers. If the custom postcards are printed in full color with stunning and attractive images. But simple, relevant photograph will not fulfill the purpose. The audience should be able to relate to the images and the information you are trying to tell them.

•  These can be called one of the best marketing tools which reach the audience directly taking your message. Moreover, it brings in the positive branding about the product or services you are selling. Try to keep the message unique which should start out in the crowd. If you are not able to do it personally approach a professional who would do it.

•  The words used in the custom postcards should be short, crisp and at the same time attractive. A one-liner is more than enough.

•  Use different fonts, colors and patterns of texts on the card. A headline and a call-to-action by-line would be more prominent.

•  Leave sufficient white spaces. Without it the whole card would look cluttered.

•  Don't leave the address-side completely blank. There should be something really striking that would make the customers turn and read. The address side the first side actually the customer looks into and they should find a reason to turn to the other side.

•  Do not try to close the deal. The card should be in such a way that the prospective customer should call you or visit your website for further queries.

•  Use a cordial and friendly tone and not a demanding or ordering tone, as for most of the people postcards are just personal notes sent from family and friends. So it should be informal and fun-filled.