As a job seeker, it is part of your job search to prepare resumes. As what has been said over and over again, resumes are key to job interviews. The way you write your resume, the way you present it and the way you send it together with a decent cover letter to your prospective company reflects ho serious you are in looking for a job.



Resume can be produced in many versions. But is it advisable to write more than one versions? My take on that is a big no. Creating more than one version of your resume may mean you're not serious enough with your career. You can only take one direction and pursue one career goal at a time. Unless you are someone with diverse skills and can make use of them in a particular job opening, then two or more resume versions is fatal to your job search.

If you belong to the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, then you may have heard of the news that Dell intends to close its Texas plant and cut jobs. The effect of this major decision is yet to be felt, however, it is certain that a lot of IT professionals will get affected.

CareerMag reports that Dell is ceasing the operation of its desktop manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas. Not only that, it is also cutting 8,800 jobs worldwide as part of its cost-cutting efforts. The company said the move is a business strategy that will help improve the competitiveness and profitability of the company.

Well, looks like there will be more and more lay-offs this year given the state of the U.S. economy. I'd like to keep my fingers crossed on that.

Once the resume and cover letter are ready, the next step is sending it to the right company. But if you think it ends there, you are wrong. Job application has just started after you have submitted your resume and cover letter to the HR. How the application will proceed to the next stage of the hiring process will largely depend on how your resume will get screened by the hiring manager.

On the part of the job seeker, the best thing to do during this period is to get the company to call you back. But the big question here is how. It's pretty simple. Why not make a follow up after two or three days? Do this politely or you may end up losing the coveted interview. The key is persistence and optimism. By letting the company know that you really want the job, you create a strong impression of a potential employee.

For most job seekers, keeping track of job applications is a waste of time. The truth is that, knowing where you applied and what kind of job you applied to is important in your job search.

Keeping track of your job search progress, may it be in print or on your PC, saves you from the hassle of remembering all the job search-related things you did in the past. The companies to which you submitted your resumes, the job openings you applied to, the people you met while finding jobs, and even the lessons you learned from your past job search mistakes, these are part of your work life that need to be kept.

Aside from making you more organized and efficient as a person, you will look at these references to guide your job search and eventually help you build a career.