Secrets to writing the perfect resume

One of the most read posts on my blog is “How to Write a Winning Resume.”  I thought I would offer my readers some additional tips on how to make sure your resume is the best it possibly can be. Hopefully your well-written resume will turn into a job interview!

1. In our current economic job market with employers inundated with resumes, it is important to make sure yours is 100% free from spelling and grammar errors.  If your resume is sloppy and full of misspelled words, an employer will get the impression that you will perform sloppily on the job.  I cannot stress the importance enough of editing. Do not rely on spellcheck alone.  Ask a friend to proof it for you to hopefully catch spelling errors you may have missed.
2. Do not include salary requirements on your resume.  You do not want to put yourself out of the running for a potential job because you are too expensive.
3. Your resume should summarize the previous positions you have held but do not include reasons for leaving a previous job on your resume. You should be prepared to discuss this information in an interview but  never put it on your actual resume.
4. Do not list specific references on your resume. It is acceptable to state “References Available Upon Request.” It is a good idea to take a separate sheet with you to a job interview which has your references listed in case you are asked to provide that information. 
5. Use consistent grammar structures and verb tenses (previous jobs/past tense, current jobs/present tense).
6. When describing relevant experience, avoid the use of personal pronouns such as “I.”

Of course you could always hire a professional resume writer (aka ME) to write your resume for you.  You can check out my business writing and consulting Web site, The Write Advice, for more information.  In addition to resumes I write all kinds of documents including press releases, Web site pages, and more.  You will receive a 20% discount if you tell me you saw this post on my blog!

If you have any resume related questions please feel free to leave a  comment and I will be glad to answer.  

Happy Meals aren’t so “happy” in this California county

This week Santa Clara County, California became the first in the nation to ban toys from fast food kids’ meals high in calories, fat, salt and sugar.  The ordinance will ban restaurants from giving away toys with meals that have more than 485 calories, more than 600 milligrams of sodium, or high amounts of sugar or fat. County supervisor Ken Yeager was quoted as saying the ordinance “prevents restaurants from preying on children’s love of toys to peddle high-calorie, high-fat, high-sodium kids’ meals,” and would help fight childhood obesity.

According to county officials, this ban would affect restaurant giant McDonald’s who is famous for their Happy Meal toys.  The limits are said to include all of the chain’s Happy Meals — even those that include apple wedges instead of French fries.

Personally I am not sure how local politicians decided to make themselves the toy police.  I don’t think the exclusion of a Happy Meal toy is going to stop kids from eating at McDonald’s either.  I am interested to know what you think.  Do you think this move will help curb childhood obesity or have local lawmakers gone too far?

Weigh in your opinion!

Have you seen the new Eclipse trailer? Come on June 30th!

On Friday, a new trailer for Eclipse made its debut on Oprah.com.  This one looks a lot more action packed than the first trailer which you can also view on my blog here.  Plus in this one you can see a glimpse of the engagement ring Edward is going to give Bella.  I bet there is a jewelry store out there right now making a replica as I type. 

Come on June 30th!!  I can’t wait to see this movie.  Check out the new trailer below.

Get organized with Pouchee (CLOSED)

Congratulations to Jessica S. who is the winner of this contest:

Jessica S

April 27, 2010 at 9:12 pm

This would be much needed for me as my purse is a pit. Thank you for the opportunity!!

If the inside of your purse looks like mine, then you need some help.  The Pouchee organizer can keep you and your purse together.  Check out my new Outback Leatherette Pouchee in Evening Plum which I recently received for review. It has outside and inside pockets and the outside pockets are even big enough to hold my Blackberry.  The Pouchee helps you change purses with ease and it is nice when I am going to the gym to throw my Pouchee into my gym bag instead of having to take my purse. 

Pouchee’s come in different sizes and you can see the collection here.  You can order yours directly from Pouchee.com or any authorized retailer. My favorite women’s boutique Anne’s also carries the Pouchee line.

Pouchee is giving away an Evening Plum Leatherette Pouchee like mine to one Write Gal reader ($25.00 value).  To enter leave me a comment telling me why your purse needs help from Pouchee.  For extra entries, visit Pouchee and tell me something you learned from their site (10 extra entries).  Then come back here and leave me 10 separate comments because the winner will be chosen randomly.  You only have to put what you learned in the first comment.  Subsequent comments can be left by “Pouchee 2, Pouchee 3, etc.”  The giveaway is open to U.S residents only and closes at 11:59 p.m. on May 7th. Good Luck!

If you are a “keep it simple girl,” you will adore these comfy t-shirts

Check out this adorable t-shirt I got today at my favorite women’s boutique, Anne’s. It says “I Love Shopping!” (that’s me!) and is made by a new company called   “keep it simple girl.”  You can get a shopping t-shirt like mine or they also have the keep it simple girl — ipod girl, beach girl, martini girl, and coffee cup girl.  The shirts are available in sizes S, M, L, and XL. If you read Cooking with Paula Deen you probably saw the keep it simple girl™ products  featured in the May/June Issue.  They are in the Paula’s Picks section on page 16.

These t-shirts are short-sleeved and let me tell you mine is super comfy. It is too pretty to sleep in but it is so soft it feels like my pajamas.  The keep it simple girl t-shirts retail for $18 and you can get yours by contacting Anne’s.  When you talk to Melissa or Irene tell them The Write Gal sent you!

 

 

Happy Earth Day

The Little Write Gal (age 9) asked me if she could write an article on my blog in celebration of Earth Day.  Here is her post which she typed herself. I think I have a blogger in the making. Enjoy!        ~Christy

Earth Day is when people think about how the Earth provides us with the things we need to live. A lot of people do not think about it when they climb or cut down trees. For example, my dad walked the dog while I picked up a whole bag of trash. I said, “WOW there is a lot of trash in my neighborhood– think about how much is in the whole world.”  So don’t just help on Earth Day, help every day by not littering.

This is my first column be sure to read more! :p

~The Little Write Gal

How did I miss National Grammar Day?

I can’t believe that I missed National Grammar Day which was on March 4th. I have been busy but Geez.  I managed to celebrate National No Housekeeping  Day (which I celebrate often :D) but somehow I missed this. Oh well. Let’s have a belated celebration and in honor of it how about one of my favorite School House Rock videos, Conjunction Junction. Enjoy!

Hannah Montana fans will enjoy The Last Song

Today the Little Write Gal and I went to the movies to see The Last Song which stars Miley Cyrus, who is known to tween girls everywhere as Hannah Montana. The movie is based on best-selling novelist, Nicholas Sparks’ book by the same name and is set in a small Southern beach town where an estranged father (Greg Kinnear) gets a chance to spend the summer with his reluctant teenaged daughter (Miley Cyrus). While visiting her Dad, Cyrus’ character Ronnie has a summer romance with Will who is played by Liam Hemsworth. I was hesitant to go see this movie because the reviews have been lackluster, but I have to say that I disagree with many of the critics who have bashed Cyrus’ acting skills. I think she is a good actress considering she is only 17 years old.  While not an Academy-award winning performance by any means, Cyrus does give a believable performance as the lead character Ronnie. In fact I saw a recent interview with Sparks who said that he wrote both the novel and screenplay with Cyrus in mind.  I think if you like Nicholas Sparks movie adaptations you will enjoy this one as well. I do know The Little Write Gal LOVED it!!  Hannah Montana fans will not be disappointed.

I am not going to spoil the plot for you but I will give you a hint.  Like most Sparks’ films, Kleenex is required.  Let me tell you the paper napkins from the concession stand did not cut it.  If you are interested in going, you can see clips of the movie here.  But don’t worry the clips on the official movie site do not reveal any plot points that may require Kleenex.

If you see this movie, let me know your thoughts.

Get your beauty fix with Beautyfix.com

I am sure you won’t be surprised to hear me say I LOVE beauty products.  Whether its beauty products for hair, face, body, etc. it doesn’t matter; I love them all.   Recently I received for review products from Beautyfix.com, an exclusive beauty club dedicated to matching you with the perfect products. How this site is different from other beauty product Web sites is that products are customized and sent to you based on your answers to a few simple beauty questions.  No more pouring over product descriptions, reviews, etc. wondering what to buy.  Beautyfix divides your product matches into 2 categories: Must-Haves and Panel Faves. Must-Haves are products the panel has picked specifically for you. Panel Faves are more of the panelists’ favorites that you pick yourself! You’ll never cry over a broken beauty heart again.

To sign up and start receiving your Beautyfix products, just go here to get started.  Once you become a member you will receive the hottest beauty products each season.  

Once you are enrolled as a member you will receive 8 new products each season for $49.99.  However, you can cancel anytime.  For the Spring 2010 season, Beautyfix is giving all of the Write Gal readers a discount of $30.00!!!  So you can receive your 8 products for only $19.99 plus FREE shipping.  Simply enter the code BFIX6 at checkout to receive the discount.  This picture is what my order looked like.  I can’t wait to try out all of the products.

Don’t forget to use the coupon code to get your Beautyfix!  Per the Beautyfix Web site,  “finding the right beauty products can be just as hard as finding Mr. Right.” Sorry I can’t help you with Mr. Right, but Beautyfix can make your beauty product search easier.

The “Man Your Man Could Smell Like” Commercial

I think this new Old Spice commercial is hilarious! The “Old Spice Guy” as he is called, tells women that anything is possible with Old Spice body wash, and that their man might not look like him, but they could smell like him if they would stop using lady-smelling body wash and switch to Old Spice. The “Old Spice Guy” is actually former football player – now actor – Isaiah Mustafa who was on Oprah last week. During Oprah’s show, Tyler Perry revealed that he was giving Mustafa a part in an upcoming movie.

I think this commercial is SO Will & Grace.  If you haven’t seen it out check it out here.  I am sure Jack McFarland would approve. 😀