| In a world where job security is no longer guaranteed | | | | Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Microsoft |
| many people are now realizing how important it is to | | | | Windows XP Operating System |
| have an up to date resume. Gone are the days where | | | | Professional Training - |
| you work for one employer for 30 years, now it's a | | | | 29 May 2005 Microsoft Word 2003 Level 1 |
| dog eat dog world and at anytime, anyone of us could | | | | (One-on-One Personal Computer Training) |
| find ourselves out on the street looking for work. As | | | | 26 May 2005 Microsoft Excel 2003 Level 2 |
| an employer I realize just how difficult it can be to | | | | (One-on-One Personal Computer Training) |
| keep your employees job safe in such an uncertain | | | | 22 - 25 May 2005 Microsoft Certified Desktop |
| world when you can have a customer go broke and | | | | Support Technician |
| not pay you hundreds of thousands of dollars. None of | | | | (One-on-One Personal Computer Training) |
| us are really safe, even employers can find | | | | One of the other things you need to consider when |
| themselves looking for a job. | | | | writing your resume is to make sure that if one of your |
| Nevertheless one of the key things that I say to all of | | | | professional certifications comes with a logo that you |
| my team is that you must take every opportunity that | | | | use it in your resume. The reason for that is that the |
| is presented to you. For example, if an employer | | | | qualification will jump out at the reader. For example if |
| offers you to do some training, take it with open arms | | | | you are a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and |
| because you never know when you might be offered | | | | your logo is the first thing they see, the employer is |
| it, even if you have to do it after hours. It amazes me | | | | more likely to put your resume on the pile to be |
| in this day and age how some people knock back | | | | considered. One of the things I have found from my |
| doing training simply because they are too lazy. I know | | | | own experience is that employers inherently hate |
| dealing with the Defence forces in Australia, many | | | | having to go through the hiring process so the easier |
| ex-soldiers are offered the opportunity to retrain prior | | | | you make it for them to notice you are qualified the |
| to leaving the service but it amazes me that many of | | | | more likely you will get hired. I certainly encourage my |
| them do not take the opportunity to use the training | | | | students to put their professional Certification Logo's at |
| money allocated to them. | | | | the start of the resume as close to your name as |
| So why is this important ... | | | | possible as this is the first item an employer will look at. |
| Well employers today have many people to choose | | | | When you are entering your certifications and your |
| from in the job market and getting noticed in a | | | | training you have undertaken into your resume make |
| crowded market can be difficult but not just for the | | | | sure that you locate this information before your |
| candidates, also for employers as well. As an | | | | employment experience. There is a logical process to |
| employer, I often find it really difficult to know a | | | | this and that is, if employers have defined in the |
| persons skills level just from their resume. The current | | | | employment advert that you must have say Microsoft |
| rule of thumb being bandied around the employment | | | | Word experience, and your education information is |
| agencies is that your resume should only be 2 pages | | | | first, then they will be able to tick this off in their check |
| to 3 pages long. Well one of the things I have found is | | | | list that you have undertake Microsoft Word training. |
| that it is all well and good for the employment agencies | | | | See employers are looking for two things and they are |
| to recommend only 2 to 3 pages but as an employer | | | | - |
| it doesn't help me when I am trying to differentiate one | | | | 1. Most employers prefer people who have had formal |
| potential employee to another. | | | | training or have some sort of certificate or certification |
| One of the other things many agencies tell you is to | | | | 2. Employers also like to see that you have had |
| only put a summary of your training or computer | | | | experience using the application. |
| training into your resume. Well let me blunt with you, | | | | If you have had formal training and you have that |
| you are selling yourself short if you do this. One of the | | | | showing first, then you will be noticed much more |
| things I have learnt over the last five years in building | | | | quickly. The other advantage in presenting your |
| my computer training company is that not all training | | | | computer certifications first and then your training we |
| companies are the same and not all training from | | | | are saying to the employer, look I am a certified |
| these companies are the same. Plus, employers want | | | | person and these people say so plus I have had |
| to see who you have been trained by, how long ago | | | | formal training. |
| you did your training and any qualifications that you | | | | One of the last items you must consider when |
| may have from this training. | | | | creating your resume is to ensure that you |
| This opens up an important issue at this point. When | | | | demonstrate in each job how you used your |
| you undertake computer training in today's | | | | qualification or skills you learnt during the training in the |
| marketplace, you will often simply do courses where | | | | job. For example, if the employer requests in the |
| you receive a Certificate of Attendance. For example, | | | | employment advert and says that you must have |
| you might have been sent by your employer to do a | | | | Advanced Microsoft Word training you must |
| Microsoft Word 2003 Level 1 day course. Now as this | | | | demonstrate how you have used your training in each |
| course is simply a one day course and you don't get a | | | | job. |
| certification from the course you will simply get a | | | | If an employer says to me that I want someone who |
| certificate of attendance. So, one important key issue | | | | has Advanced Microsoft Word Training I would |
| you must address when writing your resume is to | | | | expect that person would have some of these skills - |
| clearly differentiate your certification to your training | | | | 1. Be able to do a mail merge and filter the records in |
| courses. | | | | the mail merge |
| In the computer industry, there are many different | | | | 2. Be able to create a template that somebody can |
| certifications available for example, as an IT | | | | use to fill in information using the form objects |
| Professional you could undertake the following | | | | 3. Be able to use fields and know the shortcuts for |
| certifications - | | | | creating, editing and manipulating fields |
| Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer Certification | | | | 4. Be able to use tables and format the tables |
| (Also known as the MCSE) | | | | 5. Be able to Track Changes in a document and |
| Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator Certification | | | | Merge various versions of a document |
| (Also know as the MCSA) | | | | So, when you write employment history component of |
| Microsoft Certified Database Administrator | | | | your resume you should be showing how you actually |
| Certification (Also known as the MCDBA) | | | | did some of those tasks in your day-to-day job. Keep |
| CISCO Systems Engineer | | | | in mind employers are not expecting that you will be |
| Now if you are like most people, you will have no | | | | doing this everyday, but you must clearly demonstrate |
| interest in IT Professional Certifications but there are in | | | | where you have done this in the past. |
| fact non-IT Certifications available as well such as the | | | | One of the other key things to remember is that when |
| Microsoft Office Specialist Certification. | | | | you have undertaken computer training in the past, |
| So how do we show these in a resume ... | | | | your trainers should have reinforced the fact that you |
| When you are developing your resume it is always | | | | should know your key terminology and shortcuts. If you |
| important to show both your Certifications and the | | | | know your key terminology then you should be using |
| computer training you have done. Always show your | | | | that terminology in your resume to demonstrate you |
| Certifications first and then the training you have | | | | understand the requirements of the job. If you do not |
| attended. The reason for doing this is that your | | | | use this terminology in your resume then employers will |
| Certifications hold more weight then the training on its | | | | not be able to ascertain just what your true |
| own. Also, as you put your certifications in always | | | | comprehension level really is. |
| make sure you put down when you actually achieved | | | | The bottom line is this. Your resume is your |
| the certification as well. | | | | advertisement to an employer that says, this is why |
| For example I would document my qualifications in this | | | | you should hire me and what is in it for the employer if |
| way - | | | | they hire you and if you do not sell yourself then why |
| Professional Certifications - | | | | should they hire you. Remember one thing, if an |
| 30 July 2006 Microsoft Office 2003 Specialist Master | | | | employer is going to hire you, they are investing in you |
| Instructor | | | | as a business. Just think, if the employer hires you for |
| 15 June 2005 Microsoft Certified Desktop Support | | | | the next ten years and the job is worth $50,000 a |
| Technician | | | | year, you as an employee will earn $500,000. Which |
| Professional Certification Exams - | | | | means the employer when he hires you is investing |
| 7 July 2006 Microsoft Outlook 2003 Core Exam | | | | $500,000. Are you really worth $500,000? If you are |
| 6 July 2006 Microsoft Access 2003 Core Exam | | | | then prove to the employer that you are. |
| 5 July 2006 Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 Core Exam | | | | Too often I hear people complaining that they cannot |
| 4 July 2006 Microsoft Excel 2003 Expert Exam | | | | get work. Ninety percent of the time, it is simply |
| 3 July 2006 Microsoft Excel 2003 Core Exam | | | | because the person complaining is not selling |
| 2 July 2006 Microsoft Word 2003 Expert Exam | | | | themselves effectively to the employer and in many |
| 1 July 2006 Microsoft Word 2003 Core Exam | | | | cases, especially in today's marketplace it is because |
| 12 February 2005 Exam 70-271: Supporting Users and | | | | they are not demonstrating clearly and effectively the |
| Troubleshooting a Microsoft Windows XP Operating | | | | computer skills they possess to their prospective |
| System | | | | employer. |
| 10 February 2005 Exam 70-272: Supporting Users and | | | | |