As much as we all look for job satisfaction, most workers agree that money is the real reason they get out of bed and go to work each day.

These tips will help you get paid what you deserve and make the most of the money you earn.

1. Work out your value
Thoroughly research what other people with your skills and experience are getting paid so you can back up your salary demands. Remember that the same role can be of different value in different industries so make your research remains relevant to your situation.

2. Improve your negotiation skills
It can be easier holding out for more money when you’re in the process of being offered a job than trying to get a raise when you actually have one. Consider positions of power, bargaining tools and the consequences of non-agreement.

3. Utilise benefit schemes
Employees often undervalue the value of benefits when it comes to negotiating a salary. If your discussions aren’t going particularly well, it’s well worth trying to work into the package benefits that cost next to nothing for you employer, but mean a great deal to you.

4. Make the most of your money
If you’re having a tough time with money, you may have to make a choice between getting into more debt, becoming a hermit, or coming up with some ways to save the pennies. Look to set budgets, destroy credit cards, eat cheaper and consolidate any outstanding loans.

5. Save for the future
It’s never too early to start saving for your retirement. For most companies it’s an obligation to give you access to a pension scheme or at least point you towards a financial advisor who can explain the ins and outs of the thousands of pension options that are available.

This is an example of a high quality science CV. All the course modules are included, also laboratory experience gained on your degree course and course projects. If you were applying for jobs outside the environmental field (e.g. finance) you would probably omit most of your modules (except those including mathematical or computing skills)

Dan omondi

22 Temple Road,Nyeri Date of Birth: 6th February, 1990.

Email: daba@yahoo.com Mobile: 073-543124 Tel: 0167734768

PROFILE

I am passionate about conservation and the environment. My three years of study and my summer practical field work experience have strongly confirmed biodiversity conservation as the career choice for me. I am now looking forward to a career focused on my passion for the environment, presenting opportunities to work with similar minded people.

My reliability, communication skills, responsibility and friendly nature are assets I would bring to the work. I have experience in project management and strong organizational and administrative skills with the ability to work independently and use my own initiative. I also have the ability to prioritise whilst under pressure meeting tight deadlines. I have specific experience in research, data collection and analysis.

I am able to work in a multi-cultural team and adapt to new cultures. My previous positions have involved working and living in remote areas often under difficult conditions with significant physical fieldwork.

EDUCATION

2008-2011 THE UNIVERSITY OF LODWAR Biodiversity Conservation BSc (Hons)

Practical skills gained so far during my degree:

My course has included individual and team projects, field reports, commentaries, management plans and statistical analyses. I have learned data collection methods including focal and scan sampling methods, transects and behavioural observations.

Research Project. Field research in a tropical forest in the Peruvian Amazon has allowed me to develop both theoretical and practical skills including developing a research proposal, finding appropriate methods, conducting research, analysing results, interpreting results, writing up a full research project and giving an oral presentation on my findings. I gained a knowledge of biological field techniques with specific experience including wildlife tracking using GPS telemetry, wildlife collaring and wildlife health monitoring.

2001-2008 Onestone High School

A-levels: History B, Biology B, English C

GCSEs: 8 including Maths and English at grades A to C

RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE

July ‘07 – Sept ’07 Kenya for 3 months.

I have organised work experience during my summer holidays which has involved conducting scientific research, animal care and a variety of physically demanding activities, all of which have contributed to my personal development.

Voluntary work for “Save The Elephants”: taking part in daily research work in the field. Data collection and entry on the computer. Tracking and monitoring of the elephant population. Participation in the fixing of GPS collars on selected elephants.

2008-09 Blean Woods RSPB Nature Reserve Rough Common, Mt Elgon

Voluntary work on Saturdays, clearing rhododendron bushes, coppicing and preparing environments for the Heath Fritillary butterfly

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE

Summer 2008 Next Retail (Sales Assistant)

The job entailed working on the busy sales floor, taking deliveries, stock control and dealing with customers with high quality customer care.

September 2006-February 2009 Sales Adviser in the Cookware Department, BHS.

Duties involved stock taking, ordering of relevant stock from warehouse, arranging stock, displaying sales items, customer assistance and advice, arranging special orders and deliveries, as well as answering telephone enquiries. I was also responsible for my own particular sections of the department and had to ensure they met with the approval of my department store managers.

Other jobs have also included: voluntary care in onestone Hospital and assisting in teaching infants at a Primary School.

All of my work experiences have involved working within a team-based culture. This involved planning, organisation, co-ordination and commitment e.g., in retail, this ensured daily sales targets were met, a fair distribution of tasks and effective communication amongst all staff members.

INTERESTS

• My peers nominated me as course representative for my degree course.
• At university I was a member of the Badminton Society which I attended weekly and successfully encouraged friends to join.
• I have travelled to Peru, Kenya, Europe, the USA and Asia.

REFEREES

S. Holmes (Lecturer in Biodiversity)
kikuyu campus
University of Nairobi
Nairobi

C.S.I. Hackett, Manager
BHS
westland Street

Making an impression at an interview is a great step towards getting a job, but first you have to make an impression with your CV. So if your CV is dull, full of mistakes or doesn’t tell a story about you, then you’ll be overlooked and won’t even get as far as an interview anyway.

With this in mind, some people say that traditional CVs aren’t impactful and need to be jazzed up or made more visual so that they stand out.

Well, let’s take a look. The so-called traditional CV or résumé is text-based, clearly laid out and follows a classic structure, name at the top, references at the bottom, etc and it shouldn’t be more than two pages at the most.

Now, with all the online technology we have at our disposal, you can  create a fantastic, ‘visual’ interactive online CV that includes all your professional information as videos, images, diagrams and links to websites.

So, which way do you go?

Well, sorry to tell you this, but dressing up a dull CV with visual effects and references won’t make you necessarily stand out – a good employer will always see through the bells and whistles and take a look at the content. I always tell people, that the most important thing is to make sure you tailor it to the job you are applying for.

In short, you’ve got to get your CV story right to begin with. Have you put in only relevant information, is it up to date, does it tell what you have done – and what you can do. Does it suggest what potential you have. Is it clear, concise, engaging?

Once you’ve got this right, your CV will probably stand out as good on its own merits. Only then should you think about making it more visually engaging. You can use graphics, videos and images to support and ehance the story that’s already there.  In other words, you are enhancing the content  to make a good CV even better and more impactful.

Personally, I don’t think we’re at the stage yet where the text-based CV is outmoded. I think it will be around for a long time yet. So for most of the jobs you go for in certain sectors such as law, accountancy, HR, manufacturing, financial services, admin or charity you really don’t have to worry about making your CV a visual blockbuster.

There are exceptions to the rules, however. In certain industries creativity is part of the game.  For example if you were applying for positions in graphic design, advertising, social media, marketing, film, TV and art-direction, your CV is being looked at by people who understand ‘where you’re coming from’.  So you should demonstrate your creativity and make sure your use of colour, font styles and images are ‘current’.

In general you don’t need to worry unnecessarily about your CV being visually striking.  As I’ve said, it’s still early days for the creative CV and for the vast majority of jobs you go for it won’t be relevant.

Having a solid and effective resume can greatly improve your chances of landing that dream job. That is beyond discussion. How does one make sure that his resume is top notch and bullet proof, however? There are several websites with tips around the web, but most bring just a handful of them. We wanted to put them all together in a single place, and that is what you will find below: 44 resume writing tips.

1. Know the purpose of your resume

Some people write a resume as if the purpose of the document was to land a job. As a result they end up with a really long and boring piece that makes them look like desperate job hunters. The objective of your resume is to land an interview, and the interview will land you the job (hopefully!).

2. Back up your qualities and strengths

Instead of creating a long (and boring) list with all your qualities (e.g., disciplined, creative, problem solver) try to connect them with real life and work experiences. In other words, you need to back these qualities and strengths up, else it will appear that you are just trying to inflate things.

3. Make sure to use the right keywords

Most companies (even smaller ones) are already using digital databases to search for candidates. This means that the HR department will run search queries based on specific keywords. Guess what, if your resume doesn’t have the keywords related to the job you are applying for, you will be out even before the game starts.

These keywords will usually be nouns. Check the job description and related job ads for a clue on what the employer might be looking for. You can read more about resume keywords on the article Tapping the Power of Keywords to Enhance Your Resume’s Effectiveness.

4. Use effective titles

Like it or not, employers will usually make a judgment about your resume in 5 seconds. Under this time frame the most important aspect will be the titles that you listed on the resume, so make sure they grab the attention. Try to be as descriptive as possible, giving the employer a good idea about the nature of your past work experiences. For example:

Bad title: Accounting
Good title: Management of A/R and A/P and Recordkeeping

5. Proofread it twice

It would be difficult to emphasize the importance of proofreading your resume. One small typo and your chances of getting hired could slip. Proofreading it once is not enough, so do it twice, three times or as many as necessary.

6. Use bullet points

No employer will have the time (or patience) to read long paragraphs of text. Make sure, therefore, to use bullet points and short sentences to describe your experiences, educational background and professional objectives.

7. Where are you going?

Including professional goals can help you by giving employers an idea of where you are going, and how you want to arrive there. You don’t need to have a special section devoted to your professional objectives, but overall the resume must communicate it. The question of whether or not to highlight your career objectives on the resume is a polemic one among HR managers, so go with your feeling. If you decide to list them, make sure they are not generic.

8. Put the most important information first

This point is valid both to the overall order of your resume, as well as to the individual sections. Most of the times your previous work experience will be the most important part of the resume, so put it at the top. When describing your experiences or skills, list the most important ones first.

9. Attention to the typography

First of all make sure that your fonts are big enough. The smaller you should go is 11 points, but 12 is probably safer. Do not use capital letters all over the place, remember that your goal is to communicate a message as fast and as clearly as possible. Arial and Times are good choices.

10. Do not include “no kidding” information

There are many people that like to include statements like “Available for interview” or “References available upon request.” If you are sending a resume to a company, it should be a given that you are available for an interview and that you will provide references if requested. Just avoid items that will make the employer think “no kidding!”

11. Explain the benefits of your skills

Merely stating that you can do something will not catch the attention of the employer. If you manage to explain how it will benefit his company, and to connect it to tangible results, then you will greatly improve your chances.

12. Avoid negativity

Do not include information that might sound negative in the eyes of the employer. This is valid both to your resume and to interviews. You don’t need to include, for instance, things that you hated about your last company.

13. Achievements instead of responsibilities

Resumes that include a long list of “responsibilities included…” are plain boring, and not efficient in selling yourself. Instead of listing responsibilities, therefore, describe your professional achievements.

14. No pictures

Sure, we know that you are good looking, but unless you are applying for a job where the physical traits are very important (e.g., modeling, acting and so on), and unless the employer specifically requested it, you should avoid attaching your picture to the resume.

15. Use numbers

This tip is a complement to the 13th one. If you are going to describe your past professional achievements, it would be a good idea to make them as solid as possible. Numbers are your friends here. Don’t merely mention that you increased the annual revenues of your division, say that you increased them by $100,000, by 78%, and so on.

16. One resume for each employer

One of the most common mistakes that people make is to create a standard resume and send it to all the job openings that they can find. Sure it will save you time, but it will also greatly decrease the chances of landing an interview (so in reality it could even represent a waste of time). Tailor your resume for each employer. The same point applies to your cover letters.

17. Identify the problems of the employer

A good starting point to tailor your resume for a specific employer is to identify what possible problems he might have at hand. Try to understand the market of the company you are applying for a job, and identify what kind of difficulties they might be going through. After that illustrate on your resume how you and your skills would help to solve those problems.

18. Avoid age discrimination

It is illegal to discriminate people because of their age, but some employers do these considerations nonetheless. Why risk the trouble? Unless specifically requested, do not include your age on your resume.

19. You don’t need to list all your work experiences

If you have job experiences that you are not proud of, or that are not relevant to the current opportunity, you should just omit them. Mentioning that you used to sell hamburgers when you were 17 is probably not going to help you land that executive position.

20. Go with what you got

If you never had any real working experience, just include your summer jobs or volunteer work. If you don’t have a degree yet, mention the title and the estimated date for completion. As long as those points are relevant to the job in question, it does not matter if they are official or not.

21. Sell your fish

Remember that you are trying to sell yourself. As long as you don’t go over the edge, all the marketing efforts that you can put in your resume (in its content, design, delivery method and so on) will give you an advantage over the other candidates.

22. Don’t include irrelevant information

Irrelevant information such as political affiliation, religion and sexual preference will not help you. In fact it might even hurt your chances of landing an interview. Just skip it.

23. Use Mr. and Ms. if appropriate

If you have a gender neutral name like Alex or Ryan make sure to include the Mr. or Ms. prefix, so that employers will not get confused about your gender.

24. No lies, please

Seems like a no brainer, but you would be amused to discover the amount of people that lie in their resumes. Even small lies should be avoided. Apart from being wrong, most HR departments do background checks these days, and if you are buster it might ruin your credibility for good.

25. Keep the salary in mind

The image you will create with your resume must match the salary and responsibility level that you are aiming for.

26. Analyze job ads

You will find plenty of useful information on job ads. Analyze no only the ad that you will be applying for, but also those from companies on the same segment or offering related positions. You should be able to identify what profile they are looking for and how the information should be presented.

27. Get someone else to review your resume

Even if you think you resume is looking kinky, it would be a good idea to get a second and third opinion about it. We usually become blind to our own mistakes or way of reasoning, so another people will be in a good position to evaluate the overall quality of your resume and make appropriate suggestions.

28. One or two pages

The ideal length for a resume is a polemic subject. Most employers and recruiting specialists, however, say that it should contain one or two pages at maximum. Just keep in mind that, provided all the necessary information is there, the shorter your resume, the better.

29. Use action verbs

A very common advice to job seekers is to use action verbs. But what are they? Action verbs are basically verbs that will get noticed more easily, and that will clearly communicate what your experience or achievement were. Examples include managed, coached, enforced and planned. Here you can find a complete list of action verbs divided by skill category.

30. Use a good printer

If you are going to use a paper version of your resume, make sure to use a decent printer. Laser printers usually get the job done. Plain white paper is the preferred one as well.

31. No hobbies

Unless you are 100% sure that some of your hobbies will support you candidacy, avoid mentioning them. I know you are proud of your swimming team, but share it with your friends and not with potential employers.

32. Update your resume regularly

It is a good idea to update your resume on a regular basis. Add all the new information that you think is relevant, as well as courses, training programs and other academic qualifications that you might receive along the way. This is the best way to keep track of everything and to make sure that you will not end up sending an obsolete document to the employer.

33. Mention who you worked with

If you have reported or worked with someone that is well known in your industry, it could be a good idea to mention it on the resume. The same thing applies to presidents and CEOs. If you reported to or worked directly with highly ranked executives, add it to the resume.

34. No scattered information

Your resume must have a clear focus. If would cause a negative impression if you mentioned that one year you were studying drama, and the next you were working as an accountant. Make sure that all the information you will include will work towards a unified image. Employers like decided people.

35. Make the design flow with white space

Do not jam your resume with text. Sure we said that you should make your resume as short and concise as possible, but that refers to the overall amount of information and not to how much text you can pack in a single sheet of paper. White space between the words, lines and paragraphs can improve the legibility of your resume.

36. Lists all your positions

If you have worked a long time for the same company (over 10 years) it could be a good idea to list all the different positions and roles that you had during this time separately. You probably had different responsibilities and developed different skills on each role, so the employer will like to know it.

37. No jargon or slang

It should be common sense, but believe me, it is not. Slang should never be present in a resume. As for technical jargon, do not assume that the employer will know what you are talking about. Even if you are sending your resume to a company in the same segment, the person who will read it for the first time might not have any technical expertise.

38. Careful with sample resume templates

There are many websites that offer free resume templates. While they can help you to get an idea of what you are looking for, do not just copy and paste one of the most used ones. You certainly don’t want to look just like any other candidate, do you?

39. Create an email proof formatting

It is very likely that you will end up sending your resume via email to most companies. Apart from having a Word document ready to go as an attachment, you should also have a text version of your resume that does not look disfigured in the body of the email or in online forms. Attachments might get blocked by spam filters, and many people just prefer having the resume on the body of the email itself.

40. Remove your older work experiences

If you have been working for 20 years or more, there is no need to have 2 pages of your resume listing all your work experiences, starting with the job at the local coffee shop at the age of 17! Most experts agree that the last 15 years of your career are enough.

41. No fancy design details

Do not use a colored background, fancy fonts or images on your resume. Sure, you might think that the little flowers will cheer up the document, but other people might just throw it away at the sight.

42. No pronouns

You resume should not contain the pronouns “I” or “me.” That is how we normally structure sentences, but since your resume is a document about your person, using these pronouns is actually redundant.

43. Don’t forget the basics

The first thing on your resume should be your name. It should be bold and with a larger font than the rest of the text. Make sure that your contact details are clearly listed. Secondly, both the name and contact details should be included on all the pages of the resume (if you have more than one).

44. Consider getting professional help

If you are having a hard time to create your resume, or if you are receiving no response whatsoever from companies, you could consider hiring a professional resume writing service. There are both local and online options are available, and usually the investment will be worth the money.