This is a guest post by Erik on resume tips. You can read the guidelines to guest posting at our write for us page

With unemployment on the rise, managers and employers are inundated with a mass of resume for each job opening they have. To secure the position of your choice, it is imperative to create a resume that catches the eye of your potential employer. By following a few simple resume tips, you can create an easy to read resume that boasts of your education, skills, and experience.

Resume Tips

It is often seen that people stuff a lot of unnecessary information into their resume which makes it look too boring. If your resume is not able to catch the attention of the person screening these, it is unlikely that you will be called for an interview.

These simple resume tips will help you create an attention grabbing resume.

Objective

This is one of the most important resume tips. Always start your resume with an objective – by doing so, you are telling the employer you have direction and are clear about your goals. This simple but clear objective can land you an interview; however, if your objective is ambiguous, it can hurt your chances for an interview. Carefully craft your objective to match the opening you are applying for as well as your goal for the job.

Presenting Work Experiences

As you organize your work experiences, internships, and skill sets, be sure to only include those that are pertinent to the job for which you are applying. Including additional items will only distract the employer. Keep your resume clear and concise. All resumes, with a few exceptions, should be kept to one page in length.

Accomplishments

As you list your accomplishment at your previous jobs, do so using strong verbs. Strong verbs give power to your statements. Be sure to tell the employer how you saved or, made money at your last job, if applicable. Action verbs as well as your ability to manage funds efficiently will sound impressive to a prospective employer.

Preparing to send your Resume

If you are applying for multiple jobs, e-mail is an efficient way to get your resume into the hands of many prospective employers. You will want to keep a few things in mind as you prepare your resume for e-mail. Print out a hard copy of your resume. What may look great on the computer screen may not print as well. Make sure spacing and headings print appropriately. You should follow up every e-mail with a snail-mail version of your resume.

Should you include a cover letter?

Another way to grab the attention of a future employer is to include a cover letter with your resume. The purpose of a cover letter is to offer a glimpse of your writing ability, your ability to communicate and possibly a more detailed account of an accomplishment. Take your time with your cover letter, as this will be the preview to your equally important resume.

As you begin the resume writing process, take some time to look at sample resumes online. A sample resume from your field can help you narrow your skills and accomplishments into an easy to read resume that will catch the eye of a future employer. It could also help you generate new ideas to better describe yourself on your resume.

Let us know your comments on how these resume tips helped you improve the resume.

Get your job search underway today by visiting the Total-Jobs website.

This is a guest post by Austin on the power of internship. You can read the guidelines to guest posting at our write for us page.

Laying the foundation for a promising career begins with a good education and a healthy amount of motivation, but it doesn’t end there. An internship with a reputable company or, firm can give you the boost you need to earn job experience, build a professional network, and learn skills that you can’t acquire in college.

Get the most out of your Internship

But landing an internship isn’t easy: you’ll have to make yourself stand out among the competition. You’ll also have to make sure that you showcase your education and skills in ways that are easily accessible to potential employers. With a few tips, you can make your internship into a valuable and powerful experience.

It is important that you do not just do it for the heck of doing. These simple tips can help you get the most out of your internship.

Apply early for your internship

The early bird gets the worm—and the early applicant can often land the internship he wants most. Like full-time jobs, internships are often very competitive, and depending on the field you’re going into, the number of open slots may be small. Work with your school’s career center and your school program’s chair or department head to learn about internship opportunities as soon as they’re announced.

Starting a network of professional contacts can give you an edge as well: making connections at school functions and job fairs, and checking in with companies or firms you’re interested in working for can make you stand out in a crowd of resumes and online portfolios.

Keep your options open

Of course, there may be an internship that will help open doors for you and could lead to a fulfilling future. But you’re not the only person who’s coveting that job, so make sure you apply to a wide range of internships.

Applying to different types of internships can also help you diversify your interests and career plans: if you are, for instance, a graphic design student with a love for public service, you might consider applying for an internship at a non-profit organization that needs help with web or brochure design.

Harness the power of the Internet

Not every college or university has a career center, and some students might have to conduct an internship search on their own. If you’re at a school without internship help or you’re enrolled in an online degree program, the Internet can be one of your most valuable resources.

Internship websites—like job search engines—offer listings, tips and message boards for students searching for internship opportunities. InternWeb lists paid and unpaid internships for college students and new graduates. And Experience.com has listings for both internships and entry-level jobs, which can be used as a stepping stone to a better career for college students. Experience.com is also connected with LinkedIn, which can help you build relationships and create opportunities with your existing professional and educational networks.

Internship – your course of action

Securing an internship can be one of the most important things you do in your college career—so you owe it to yourself to get it right. Start early, apply to a number of different internship opportunities, and make sure you build and maintain your social and professional networks. The right internship can be your first step toward the right career path for you.

This is a guest post by Austin. You can read the guidelines to guest posting at our write for us page.

Working from home is a long lost dream of the American office worker, online university student, or stay at home parent. We have all said, at one point or another that the work we do could easily be done from the comfort of my own couch. While this may be true, doing work at home is much harder than most may think.

Consider the coffee shops around the world that are packed to the brim with “independent authors”, “social media gurus” and freelance writers. Take a moment to consider their limitations on workspace…they have none. They could easily be living our dream! Why don’t they? It makes little to no sense what-so-ever. This raises the question…how to establish a home work space that separates “home” from “work”.

It’s a must for the home worker, but can be difficult to pull off.

In order to solve this, most serious of problems, we must first completely understand the problem at hand. Let’s analyze the common reasons behind the lack of sanctity on working at home:

• Distractions
• Too comfortable
• Alone
• Lack of other working people

In order to successfully separate your work and home, we have to do just that. SEPARATE. First thing’s first – find your space, your work space, the space that will become your working sanctuary. Now, the obvious comes to mind in that you can make an entire room your workspace, but if that’s the case – you’re probably not worried about reading this article in the first place! So let’s consider some separation techniques such as; a sheet, a corner, a desk, a small nook or corner. Whatever you decide to use, just make sure it’s your designated place. When you’re there, you’re working – nothing else!

A popular option when workers are considering a workspace is creating one in the garage. This is an excellent option and often utilizes space that would otherwise go un-used to become riddled with clutter. This also brings up obvious concerns, such as climate – aka heating/cooling problems. We want our home workspace to be a year round sanctuary, not a seasonal spot.

The space you create is by far the most important and influential aspect of the office to home separation, but to go along with that you will need a few “office-esque” items. Search online for some fun organizational tools such as a whiteboard, or a chalkboard. Look for filling cabinets that will help fill in your space accordingly. Research shows that when a worker feels comfortable, or “tucked in” at their workspace, they are more efficient. So eliminate useless space, fill in the rest with organizational tool and items.

When considering, creating, and finalizing your workspace, remember one key aspect: the off switch. Your workspace needs an off switch. You have to be able to get up from your desk and be done working once you leave. A common problem with at home workers is their need and desire to never stop working, or the opposite. In either case, creating the proper workspace will be the biggest tool in solving this problem.