If you have more than a goal, knowing which direction to take your

career can be quite the dilemma. Many job-seekers are looking in more
than one area of expertise, and their resumes often reflect that. The
problem with this is that it can be confusing for those searching to
fill a position.


Of course, most employers hope to hire
multi-taskers, but many times having a varied assortment of skills
listed on your resume can work against you. What you need to do is
focus your resume to suit a particular career, even if this means
creating a different resume for each different job pursuit.


So, I really need more than one resume? [img]smileys/smiley25.gif[/img]


If
you career pursuits are similar, one resume might be all you need.
However, if you’re looking in different, unrelated sections of the
classified during your job search, you'll have to have a different
resume for each job goal.


When you write a generic resume for all
of your career goals, your resume may be too extensive. Employers are
looking for someone who is focused. You want the person in charge of
hiring to look at your resume and know immediately you're the right
candidate to call in for the interview. Any uncertainty on the part of
the hiring manager means the resume is destined for the trash bin.
Recruiters and hiring managers simply don't have time to waste reading
wordy or confusing resumes.


Another way to tell if you need to
write more than one resume is to give your resume a good review. Better
yet, have a trusted friend or relative go over your resume. Are your
goals confusing? Are your skills across the board? Would a hiring
manager have any trouble figuring out what it is you actually do? If
so, you're in need of more than one resume.


I sent out my resumes…now what? [img]smileys/smiley25.gif[/img]


You
need to know if your resume is effective. How can you tell if you have
an effective resume? One way is through tracking. It's not enough to
create a resume and send it off. To be fully successful in your job
hunt, you'll want to keep track of where it went and the type of
response it received.


When you're ready to send out your resumes,
make a spreadsheet or grab a notebook to list some information. List
the date, the type of resume sent, and where it went. In addition to
helping you remember where you applied, it will also help you to see
how effective each resume actually is.


For instance, are you
being called back for interviews more for one resume over another? Are
you getting call backs, or are your resumes being ignored? Keeping
track of where resumes were sent, when, and the response (or lack of
response) to each one will help in your job search.


If you find
you're not receiving as many responses to your resume as you had hoped,
don't be dismayed. It just means a little more fine tuning is in order.
Your primary goal is to catch the eye of the hiring manager. You simply can't do this with a generic resume.[img]smileys/smiley1.gif[/img]