Your resume is often the first, and sometimes the only, chance you have to make a positive impression on a prospective employer. That's why business services provider Handle With Care Packaging Store of Cerritos wants to help job seekers put their best foot forward during Build a Better Image Week, September 19 - 25, by offering to fax their resumes for free throughout that week and by sharing some important tips on creating and presenting a professional resume."During Build a Better Image Week, we'll fax jobseekers' resumes to prospective employers for free. We know that faxing a resume, as well as mailing, emailing or telephoning the company, may help an application stand out from the crowd," said Mark Hwang, owner of the store. Today's job market remains one of the most competitive in recent memory. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in July 2010, stood at 9.5 percent. Almost 45 percent of the people looking for a job have been unemployed for more than 27 weeks. "You have only a couple of seconds to capture the interest of a recruiter," says Hwang. "That's why it's more important than ever to present a professional, effective resume. Following these tips will help you create an attention-getting resume." Follow Directions - You may not be considered for the position at all if you don't get your resume into the right hands. Don't just assume that a human resources representative is the best choice; follow the directions provided by the employer. Failure to do so identifies you as someone who can't follow directions. Start Strong - You may have only a few seconds to capture the attention of a reader, so lead off with your career objectives and a concise summary of your skills. Striking the right chord here will encourage the recruiter to look more closely at the details of your track record and accomplishments. Appearance Matters - When you mail a copy of your resume, the look and feel will set the tone of your application. Your resume should be freshly printed on high quality paper and should contain plenty of open space. And this is not the time to indulge your creative side. Use a standard font style that is easy on the eyes - such as Arial or Times New Roman 12 point. Highlight Important Points - Attention-getters such as borders, bullets, bolds and underlines - used sparingly - can be effective when a live recruiter will be reviewing your resume. Increasingly, however, resumes are being previewed electronically with programs that use keywords to search for key skills, education and product knowledge. When you detail your background and experience, be sure to use the keywords contained in the job posting where it's appropriate. One Size Does Not Fit All - Your resume needs to be tailored to each opportunity. You need to convince each prospective employer that you are interested in their specific job opening. Simply sending out a "standard" resume increases the risk that your application will get lost in the shuffle. Handle With Care Packaging Store is located at 20022 State Rd. in Cerritos. They can be reached at (562) 468-4647.

********** Published: September 9, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 21