Nice Twist
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on July 22nd, 2009
The legendary George Carlin made a career out of calling attention to the difference between how words and phrases are perceived as opposed to what they’re ‘actually’ saying …
He would ask wonderfully rhetorical questions, my favorite of which was this:
- Would you really get on a non-stop flight?
And yet, that term is not only used on a daily basis, but with a straight face every time. How does this happen, where nonsense actually becomes an understandable phrase?
There are two schools of thought when it comes to the use of the English language. The conservative view is that its integrity must be maintained, perhaps grudgingly at times. The liberal view is that, in order to be a lively, vibrant language, it needs to adapt to the times. Of course, there’s also my view, which is that the English language defies definition.
My case could be started by citing the classic instance where it can be argued that ‘ghoti’ is a homonym of ‘fish’ by nature of the following logic:
- ‘gh’ sounds like ‘f’ in words like ‘enough’ and ‘cough;’
- ‘o’ sounds like ‘i’ in ‘women;’ and
- ‘ti’ sounds like ’sh’ in words like ’sanction’ and ‘action.’
This is a ridiculous extreme, of course. The evolution of letter combinations and the sounds they represent in English is a result of dialectical isolation over many decades. As universal as the language has become, this is a natural progression. It’s also why more geographically ‘compact’ languages such as Swedish remain ‘purer’ in the logic of their pronunciation rules.
Another development of English is that, not only do sounds change over time, so do definitions.
With that in mind, let’s take a ‘nice’ change of direction. ‘Nice’ has its origin in the Latin word, ‘nescius,’ which means ‘ignorant.’ So, the phrase ‘nice man’ would have been referring to an idiot in the 1400s. However, by the 1600s, the word had turned. A ‘nice man’ then meant that he was ‘refined.’ After slightly more than a century, a ‘nice man’ had become ‘pleasant’ — and recognized in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as such — which stands to this day.
How ’sick’ is that for a turn of events?
I’m not sure what ‘dudes’ did in the 1400s to do the deed on ‘nice,’ but their modern-day progeny are alive and well today, turning the street meaning of ’sick’ into a synonym for ‘cool,’ which was ‘morphed’ by earlier ‘cats’ from a temperature condition to a state of zeitgeist. (That’s German for ‘trendy;’ conservatives find foreign phrases acceptable as ‘pop’ condescensions.) Every generation has its slang, of course. It’s rare that definitions of affected words actually evolve into the established vernacular, ie- dictionary recognition, which ironically gives them the distinction of being defended by conservatives as ‘proper’ English. Whether that occurs or not, people of each time period still need to understand each other. This gives rise to ‘alternative’ reference sources.
One of the more interesting of these today is the Urban Dictionary. It’s the brainchild of Aaron Peckham, a student at (where else?) Cal Poly. He saw a need to catalog, define and post today’s slang for the benefit of all. His site is non-profit and its popularity has skyrocketed. The key reason for this has got to be the exponential growth of cyberspace.
The Urban Dictionary has become so popular, it’s now available in book form. It contains a modest 2000 slang definitions. However, that’s the same as the number of submissions the website receives every day from contributors around the world. You’ll find over 250,000 submissions there, from emoticons to phrases.
If you’ve ‘gone 404′ — a reference for the online error message displayed when a site is missing — you’re truly speaking geek. If you’re ignoring someone by concentrating on your electronic device, such as a PDA, MP3 or laptop, you’re ‘evoiding’ them. Have you ever accidentally called someone because your mobile phone is fitting too tightly in your pocket? If so, you’ve just ‘butt dialed’ someone.
Peckham’s labor of love attracts millions of hits per year. He now utilizes the services of volunteer editors to keep his site up-to-date. It’s fair to say that the Urban Dictionary has become a reliable reference for coping with the cyber-culture. Peckham says as much in the book’s introduction, calling it “a resource for parents trying to understand their kids, for language learners confused by real-world English &ndash but most of all for your entertainment.”
It is an interesting surf. As he promises, it can even be quite useful. In fact, I’d even go so far to say that he’s done a very nice job with it. Very nice, indeed. In a sick sort of way, of course.
Nice Twist
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on July 22nd, 2009
The legendary George Carlin made a career out of calling attention to the difference between how words and phrases are perceived as opposed to what they’re ‘actually’ saying …
He would ask wonderfully rhetorical questions, my favorite of which was this:
- Would you really get on a non-stop flight?
And yet, that term is not only used on a daily basis, but with a straight face every time. How does this happen, where nonsense actually becomes an understandable phrase?
There are two schools of thought when it comes to the use of the English language. The conservative view is that its integrity must be maintained, perhaps grudgingly at times. The liberal view is that, in order to be a lively, vibrant language, it needs to adapt to the times. Of course, there’s also my view, which is that the English language defies definition.
My case could be started by citing the classic instance where it can be argued that ‘ghoti’ is a homonym of ‘fish’ by nature of the following logic:
- ‘gh’ sounds like ‘f’ in words like ‘enough’ and ‘cough;’
- ‘o’ sounds like ‘i’ in ‘women;’ and
- ‘ti’ sounds like ’sh’ in words like ’sanction’ and ‘action.’
This is a ridiculous extreme, of course. The evolution of letter combinations and the sounds they represent in English is a result of dialectical isolation over many decades. As universal as the language has become, this is a natural progression. It’s also why more geographically ‘compact’ languages such as Swedish remain ‘purer’ in the logic of their pronunciation rules.
Another development of English is that, not only do sounds change over time, so do definitions.
With that in mind, let’s take a ‘nice’ change of direction. ‘Nice’ has its origin in the Latin word, ‘nescius,’ which means ‘ignorant.’ So, the phrase ‘nice man’ would have been referring to an idiot in the 1400s. However, by the 1600s, the word had turned. A ‘nice man’ then meant that he was ‘refined.’ After slightly more than a century, a ‘nice man’ had become ‘pleasant’ — and recognized in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as such — which stands to this day.
How ’sick’ is that for a turn of events?
I’m not sure what ‘dudes’ did in the 1400s to do the deed on ‘nice,’ but their modern-day progeny are alive and well today, turning the street meaning of ’sick’ into a synonym for ‘cool,’ which was ‘morphed’ by earlier ‘cats’ from a temperature condition to a state of zeitgeist. (That’s German for ‘trendy;’ conservatives find foreign phrases acceptable as ‘pop’ condescensions.) Every generation has its slang, of course. It’s rare that definitions of affected words actually evolve into the established vernacular, ie- dictionary recognition, which ironically gives them the distinction of being defended by conservatives as ‘proper’ English. Whether that occurs or not, people of each time period still need to understand each other. This gives rise to ‘alternative’ reference sources.
One of the more interesting of these today is the Urban Dictionary. It’s the brainchild of Aaron Peckham, a student at (where else?) Cal Poly. He saw a need to catalog, define and post today’s slang for the benefit of all. His site is non-profit and its popularity has skyrocketed. The key reason for this has got to be the exponential growth of cyberspace.
The Urban Dictionary has become so popular, it’s now available in book form. It contains a modest 2000 slang definitions. However, that’s the same as the number of submissions the website receives every day from contributors around the world. You’ll find over 250,000 submissions there, from emoticons to phrases.
If you’ve ‘gone 404′ — a reference for the online error message displayed when a site is missing — you’re truly speaking geek. If you’re ignoring someone by concentrating on your electronic device, such as a PDA, MP3 or laptop, you’re ‘evoiding’ them. Have you ever accidentally called someone because your mobile phone is fitting too tightly in your pocket? If so, you’ve just ‘butt dialed’ someone.
Peckham’s labor of love attracts millions of hits per year. He now utilizes the services of volunteer editors to keep his site up-to-date. It’s fair to say that the Urban Dictionary has become a reliable reference for coping with the cyber-culture. Peckham says as much in the book’s introduction, calling it “a resource for parents trying to understand their kids, for language learners confused by real-world English &ndash but most of all for your entertainment.”
It is an interesting surf. As he promises, it can even be quite useful. In fact, I’d even go so far to say that he’s done a very nice job with it. Very nice, indeed. In a sick sort of way, of course.
Quel Cadeau Offrir A Vos Employes
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on July 21st, 2009
Les Soir
Reading & Writing English: Words Ending In “D”
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on July 20th, 2009
The different sounds that the letter”d” takes at the end of a verb in the past tense
An extract from the book: Word Power by the author of this article.
The English language indicates that the action of the verb is in the past by having some form of the “d” or “t” sound end the word. We say some kind of “d” or “t” sound although the word is almost always written with a “d”.
Many people who learn English are so confused by the irregular forms of the verbs that they give up and invent their own ways of referring to the past. Some say: “Yesterday I walk to work” or other ways to avoid using the past tense that they have never learned.
Sure, there are irregular words in English. The past of teach is taught; the past of buy is bought; the past of think is thought. But even these irregular words end in some kind of a “t” sound to indicate that the verb refers to the past. Luckily, there aren’t too many of these irregular verbs. You just have to learn them. The good thing is that they behave more or less the same way.
But let’s look at the regular verbs. Most English verbs are regular. To indicate the past, they put some kind of a sound made with the tongue touching the back of the upper teeth. Almost always it is the sound of a “d” or of a “t”.
The ending of the verb “love” in the past: “I loved the movie” is very different from the ending of the verb “walk”: “I walked to work.” When it sounds like the letter “d”, it is a voiced sound, that is the vocal cords vibrate. When it sounds like a “t”, it is a voiceless or an unvoiced sound.
But how do you know when it should end with a voiced “d” sound and when with a voiceless “t” sound? Although you may not believe it, there is a “rule” that will help you to form the past of most English verbs. You may still make some mistakes but little by little you will feel the mistakes and will correct them. The structure of your mouth will force you to make the right sound.
The “rule” for the formation of the past is similar to the “rule” for the “s” at the end of plural nouns and verbs in the third person singlular of the present tense.
The rule of the “d” in three parts:
There is a one simple “rule” that covers the pronunciation of the “d” and “t” sounds.
The sound that indicates the past of the verb is the voiceless “t” sound when the verb ends in a voiceless consonant. On the other hand, the indication of the past is the voiced “d” sound when the verb ends in a voiced consonant.
The three parts of the rule are:
1. the voiceless “t” sound,
2. the voiced “d” sound,
3. the added syllable.
1. The voiceless (unvoiced) “t”:
The “rule” tells us when the last sound of a verb is is like that of the words talk, cap, mess, etc (that is, a voiceless sound), the past of the verb ends with a voiceless (or unvoiced) sound like that of the word walked. The past of these verbs is talked, capped, messed and the “d” is unvoiced.
For example the letter “d” that represents the past in the written word is pronounced like the “t” of Tom (a voiceless sound) when the verb ends in a voiceless sound. So when the verb ends in voiceless sounds such as the letters k in the word looked, p in the word stopped, f in the word cuffed (or gh in the word laughed) the past is indicated by the voiceless “t” sound. This always happens so don’t be fooled by the written letter “d”.
The past tense of the verb is also indicated by a voiceless sound when the verb ends in any “hissing” sound such as the words: face, wash, crunch. All these sounds are voiceless so the verbs that end with them will always have the “d” of their past form sounded voicelessly and therefore become the forms faced, washed, crunched.
It is important to note that although the voiceless “d” is written “ed”, you do NOT add a syllable to the original word.
2. The voiced “d”:
The “d” is voiced in two situations:
a. when the word ends in a vowel sound such as, played, teed, owed, cued.
The “strange” vowels are also followed by a voiced “d” such as in the words: furred, papered, pawed. The past of verbs ending in a diphthong sound also end in a voiced “d” sound, for example in the words: plowed, paid, toyed .
b. when the word ends in a voiced consonant.
Some examples of the second case are: b as in the word robbed, n in the word drowned, l in the word mailed, g in the word logged, v in the word heaved, m n the word farmed, n as in the word panned, thesoundof the letters ng as in the word ring, r as in the word cars, v as in the word stoves, and thin the word bathed.
Remember that that the voiced “d” sound forms the past of verbs that end in a voiced consonant, for example, burned is the past of the verb burn and lovedis the past of love.
It is important to note that although the voiced “d” in these words is written with “ed”, you do NOT add an extra syllable.
3. The added syllable
In both cases, when the verb ends in either the sound of the voiced “d” or the sound of the voiceless “t”, the English language adds a syllable to the verb.
For example, the verbs in the present tense visit, vote, side, need, plant, adopt, add “ed” to make the past tense and become visited, voted, sided, needed, planted, adopted.
The “ed” is pronounced with a special vowel followed by a voiced “d”. The special vowel is the “short i” which has the IPA symbol of the small capital “i”. We treat this sound in the book in the chapter on the short vowels. Remember a ship is not a sheep. You have to be able to hear the difference to be able to use this vowel in the added syllable.
It is only in this special case that you pronounce the second syllable of the past of a verb. Not all verbs have two syllables in the past. It is important that you realize that most common English verbs have only one syllable. Do not think that you have to pronounce the “ed” of the words such as walked, talked, played, tuned, tooled. Do not read these words as they were written in your language.
Although many verbs have “ed” in their past, it is just a strange note of English spelling. You often only pronounce one syllable with the past indicated by a voiced “d” or an unvoiced “t” according to which sound preceded the ending.
You only pronounce the “ed” when the root form of the verb ends with your tongue touching the back of your teeth, either with a voiced “d” sound or with an unvoiced “t” sound. For example, “Today, I heat the coffee but yesterday I heated it” (2 syllables because the last consonant is a “t”). But, “Today I talk to my friend but yesterday I talked on the phone.” (one syllable because the last consonant is not a “t” or a “d”)
The extra syllable: Listen to this as often as necessary for you to be able to distinguish the unvoiced “t” from the voiced “d”.
Review and practice all parts of the “RULE”!
The first part of the “rule”: the voiceless “t”;
The second part of the “rule”: the voiced “d” :
The third part of the “rule”: the added syllable
Reading & Writing English: Words Ending In “D”
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on July 20th, 2009
The different sounds that the letter”d” takes at the end of a verb in the past tense
An extract from the book: Word Power by the author of this article.
The English language indicates that the action of the verb is in the past by having some form of the “d” or “t” sound end the word. We say some kind of “d” or “t” sound although the word is almost always written with a “d”.
Many people who learn English are so confused by the irregular forms of the verbs that they give up and invent their own ways of referring to the past. Some say: “Yesterday I walk to work” or other ways to avoid using the past tense that they have never learned.
Sure, there are irregular words in English. The past of teach is taught; the past of buy is bought; the past of think is thought. But even these irregular words end in some kind of a “t” sound to indicate that the verb refers to the past. Luckily, there aren’t too many of these irregular verbs. You just have to learn them. The good thing is that they behave more or less the same way.
But let’s look at the regular verbs. Most English verbs are regular. To indicate the past, they put some kind of a sound made with the tongue touching the back of the upper teeth. Almost always it is the sound of a “d” or of a “t”.
The ending of the verb “love” in the past: “I loved the movie” is very different from the ending of the verb “walk”: “I walked to work.” When it sounds like the letter “d”, it is a voiced sound, that is the vocal cords vibrate. When it sounds like a “t”, it is a voiceless or an unvoiced sound.
But how do you know when it should end with a voiced “d” sound and when with a voiceless “t” sound? Although you may not believe it, there is a “rule” that will help you to form the past of most English verbs. You may still make some mistakes but little by little you will feel the mistakes and will correct them. The structure of your mouth will force you to make the right sound.
The “rule” for the formation of the past is similar to the “rule” for the “s” at the end of plural nouns and verbs in the third person singlular of the present tense.
The rule of the “d” in three parts:
There is a one simple “rule” that covers the pronunciation of the “d” and “t” sounds.
The sound that indicates the past of the verb is the voiceless “t” sound when the verb ends in a voiceless consonant. On the other hand, the indication of the past is the voiced “d” sound when the verb ends in a voiced consonant.
The three parts of the rule are:
1. the voiceless “t” sound,
2. the voiced “d” sound,
3. the added syllable.
1. The voiceless (unvoiced) “t”:
The “rule” tells us when the last sound of a verb is is like that of the words talk, cap, mess, etc (that is, a voiceless sound), the past of the verb ends with a voiceless (or unvoiced) sound like that of the word walked. The past of these verbs is talked, capped, messed and the “d” is unvoiced.
For example the letter “d” that represents the past in the written word is pronounced like the “t” of Tom (a voiceless sound) when the verb ends in a voiceless sound. So when the verb ends in voiceless sounds such as the letters k in the word looked, p in the word stopped, f in the word cuffed (or gh in the word laughed) the past is indicated by the voiceless “t” sound. This always happens so don’t be fooled by the written letter “d”.
The past tense of the verb is also indicated by a voiceless sound when the verb ends in any “hissing” sound such as the words: face, wash, crunch. All these sounds are voiceless so the verbs that end with them will always have the “d” of their past form sounded voicelessly and therefore become the forms faced, washed, crunched.
It is important to note that although the voiceless “d” is written “ed”, you do NOT add a syllable to the original word.
2. The voiced “d”:
The “d” is voiced in two situations:
a. when the word ends in a vowel sound such as, played, teed, owed, cued.
The “strange” vowels are also followed by a voiced “d” such as in the words: furred, papered, pawed. The past of verbs ending in a diphthong sound also end in a voiced “d” sound, for example in the words: plowed, paid, toyed .
b. when the word ends in a voiced consonant.
Some examples of the second case are: b as in the word robbed, n in the word drowned, l in the word mailed, g in the word logged, v in the word heaved, m n the word farmed, n as in the word panned, thesoundof the letters ng as in the word ring, r as in the word cars, v as in the word stoves, and thin the word bathed.
Remember that that the voiced “d” sound forms the past of verbs that end in a voiced consonant, for example, burned is the past of the verb burn and lovedis the past of love.
It is important to note that although the voiced “d” in these words is written with “ed”, you do NOT add an extra syllable.
3. The added syllable
In both cases, when the verb ends in either the sound of the voiced “d” or the sound of the voiceless “t”, the English language adds a syllable to the verb.
For example, the verbs in the present tense visit, vote, side, need, plant, adopt, add “ed” to make the past tense and become visited, voted, sided, needed, planted, adopted.
The “ed” is pronounced with a special vowel followed by a voiced “d”. The special vowel is the “short i” which has the IPA symbol of the small capital “i”. We treat this sound in the book in the chapter on the short vowels. Remember a ship is not a sheep. You have to be able to hear the difference to be able to use this vowel in the added syllable.
It is only in this special case that you pronounce the second syllable of the past of a verb. Not all verbs have two syllables in the past. It is important that you realize that most common English verbs have only one syllable. Do not think that you have to pronounce the “ed” of the words such as walked, talked, played, tuned, tooled. Do not read these words as they were written in your language.
Although many verbs have “ed” in their past, it is just a strange note of English spelling. You often only pronounce one syllable with the past indicated by a voiced “d” or an unvoiced “t” according to which sound preceded the ending.
You only pronounce the “ed” when the root form of the verb ends with your tongue touching the back of your teeth, either with a voiced “d” sound or with an unvoiced “t” sound. For example, “Today, I heat the coffee but yesterday I heated it” (2 syllables because the last consonant is a “t”). But, “Today I talk to my friend but yesterday I talked on the phone.” (one syllable because the last consonant is not a “t” or a “d”)
The extra syllable: Listen to this as often as necessary for you to be able to distinguish the unvoiced “t” from the voiced “d”.
Review and practice all parts of the “RULE”!
The first part of the “rule”: the voiceless “t”;
The second part of the “rule”: the voiced “d” :
The third part of the “rule”: the added syllable
Resume Writing - 3 Tips For Success
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on July 19th, 2009
Resume writing is possibly the biggest stumbling block for folks who are looking for a job. While it may seem simple, there are allot of subtle things that really matter. Potential employers are flooded with resumes in response to their job postings, and you only have a few short moments to make it or your resume will end up in the trash. So, how do you optimize your resume to make it likely to get read? Here are 3 great tips to get you started.
1. Be Comprehensive, yet Succinct.
While your resume should contain a detailed account of your qualifications and accomplishments, you need to keep on topic specific to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a position as an office manager, for example, you don’t need to include references to your stint as a rodeo clown. The prospective employer will likely be interested only in the skills and work experience that relates directly to the position they are trying to fill. Give them what they are looking for. Take a thorough account of your work history and skillset and choose to highlight what is relevant, and eliminate or downplay the items that are irrelevant. This strategy of niche resume writing keeps your resume focused and gives you the advantage of appearing to be the most qualified candidate for the job.
2. Your Resume Should be Formatted Nicely
Kooky fonts and such may be okay for personal communications, but your resume should be more “standardized”. You want it to appear as neat and tidy as… well, yourself, right? A typewritten resume using standard fonts such as Times New Roman and Arial on high quality plain white paper will be a winner every time. You also need to pay close attention to your spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Nothing would be more embarrassing than a resume with typos, grammatical errors, and misspellings. Not only embarrassing, but presenting a resume with errors will not impress potential employers and will likely land your resume in the trash can. Don’t rely on computer based spelling and grammar checks. Check it yourself, and if possible, get someone else to check it for you as well. Also be wary of the reformatting that sometimes happens when you upload your resume to an Internet based resume submission service. Allot of times, you will loose your careful formatting only to find it replaced with the wrong margin, strange fonts and worse. Before you send it, check it!
3. Show Enthusiasm
Your resume and cover letter should not be something that you write begrudgingly. You are excited about the job you are applying for, correct? Well, then show it! Your excitement will come across in your resume and cover letter and will impress perspective employers. Whenever it makes sense to, use action words to describe your career history and goals.
Resume Writing - 3 Tips For Success
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on July 19th, 2009
Resume writing is possibly the biggest stumbling block for folks who are looking for a job. While it may seem simple, there are allot of subtle things that really matter. Potential employers are flooded with resumes in response to their job postings, and you only have a few short moments to make it or your resume will end up in the trash. So, how do you optimize your resume to make it likely to get read? Here are 3 great tips to get you started.
1. Be Comprehensive, yet Succinct.
While your resume should contain a detailed account of your qualifications and accomplishments, you need to keep on topic specific to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a position as an office manager, for example, you don’t need to include references to your stint as a rodeo clown. The prospective employer will likely be interested only in the skills and work experience that relates directly to the position they are trying to fill. Give them what they are looking for. Take a thorough account of your work history and skillset and choose to highlight what is relevant, and eliminate or downplay the items that are irrelevant. This strategy of niche resume writing keeps your resume focused and gives you the advantage of appearing to be the most qualified candidate for the job.
2. Your Resume Should be Formatted Nicely
Kooky fonts and such may be okay for personal communications, but your resume should be more “standardized”. You want it to appear as neat and tidy as… well, yourself, right? A typewritten resume using standard fonts such as Times New Roman and Arial on high quality plain white paper will be a winner every time. You also need to pay close attention to your spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Nothing would be more embarrassing than a resume with typos, grammatical errors, and misspellings. Not only embarrassing, but presenting a resume with errors will not impress potential employers and will likely land your resume in the trash can. Don’t rely on computer based spelling and grammar checks. Check it yourself, and if possible, get someone else to check it for you as well. Also be wary of the reformatting that sometimes happens when you upload your resume to an Internet based resume submission service. Allot of times, you will loose your careful formatting only to find it replaced with the wrong margin, strange fonts and worse. Before you send it, check it!
3. Show Enthusiasm
Your resume and cover letter should not be something that you write begrudgingly. You are excited about the job you are applying for, correct? Well, then show it! Your excitement will come across in your resume and cover letter and will impress perspective employers. Whenever it makes sense to, use action words to describe your career history and goals.
Resume Writing For A Highly Competitive Job Market
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on July 18th, 2009
Most job hunters already know that a resume is a must when it comes to applying for jobs and getting potential employers to take notice, but unfortunately, most resumes are just not up to par. People actively seeking employment often fail to create an effective resume that will impress hiring managers and land interviews.
And yet, in today’s vigorous job market, at a time when layoffs are the norm and competition for jobs is cutthroat, it’s more important than ever that your resume catch the eyes of the recruiter or resume screener, who may spend no more than 30 seconds on each resume during the initial selection process. This is why your resume has to be more than a document listing your various accomplishments and achievements &ndash it must be a successful marketing tool.
A poorly constructed resume merely lists the applicant’s job history, using bullets to state past responsibilities, and entirely neglects to take advantage of marketing techniques that make a resume stand out from the crowd. You might be the hardest-working, most responsible individual around, but if your resume doesn’t make that clear, what will distinguish you from everyone else applying for the job, in the eyes of the hiring manager?
To avoid turning in a resume that blandly lists your qualities and work history, you must transform it into an accomplishment-driven piece of writing that clearly emphasizes the importance and relevance of each accomplishment.
It may not be easy to do this, but if you approach the process step-by-step, and use the basic sections of the resume to market your abilities, experience, and potential value to the employer, reworking your resume into a marketing machine is an attainable feat.
Starting From the Top
Arguably the most important part of the resume is the first three quarters of the page. Recruiters and screeners have to wade through stacks of resumes, so they tend to scan the first part of the first page to pare down the pile, initially. If you want to survive the preliminary cut, this section of your resume should be full of accomplishments that market your particular skills and capabilities to the specific employer and position.
Of course, your name and contact information appear in this section as well, but you should also include a professional summary in addition to, as mentioned above, the list of accomplishments.
Professional Summary
A professional summary is considered by many resume experts to be more effective than a stated “objective,” in today’s job market. It works as a sturdy introduction to a strong resume, and proves more powerful in the face of the 30-second scan because it offers the recruiter a snapshot of your most important attributes.
Use the summary as a short ad all about you. Include information in the first sentence or two regarding the type of position you’re looking for, and make it clear why you are different or better than the other applicants vying for the same position.
The final three or four sentences should identify your expertise and abilities that apply to the job in question. Make it clear why you can be an asset to the company! Acting as an introduction to the rest of your resume, the statements made in the professional summary need to be reinforced in the sections of the resume that follow.
Accomplishments
The accomplishments you decide to highlight in this section are important because past performance is a good indicator of what you can do for the company, if hired. Mentioning successes you have scored in the past is your best bet to landing an interview.
Just be sure to select 3-6 accomplishments that relate directly to the position you seek and make them quantifiable and measurable &ndash provide answers to questions such as how many/much? Which one? What kind? This will add substance to the facts you have stated.
The best way to determine what accomplishments to list here is to think from the perspective of the employer. Recruiters want to know why you could be an asset to the company &ndash perhaps you will save them time and money, or provide another favorable result? Highlight accomplishments that draw attention to your past successes in applicable areas of expertise.
The Body
This section of the resume profiles your professional experience. Here you make note of the companies you have worked for in the past, along with your title/position and the dates of employment (in years).
But be wary of falling into the trap of simply listing off your work experience. Even in this section of the resume, it’s extremely important to avoid compiling an inventory of job duties. Companies are interested in much more than surface achievements or responsibilities &ndash they are looking for people who can translate success achieved in past jobs to a future position. Make it clear what you can contribute to the employer.
For instance, if your past role was that of “manager,” make it clear that this involved leading a team of people and successfully motivating them to complete tasks on budget and on time. If you worked as a cashier or bank teller, note that you were trusted with money and worked well in a customer service capacity. Any awards you won can also be stated in this section &ndash just remember to quantify every statement you make!
Education
The final section of the resume lists educational information, as well as anything else that might be considered professional experience, such as continuing education, seminars, and other classes you have taken that are applicable to the job. Here you can also draw attention to any professional organizations and affiliations you belong to, as well as civic duties you perform and volunteer experience you have accumulated over the years, as long as it relates to the position you are attempting to win.
Always list the last degree completed first, without mentioning dates. For those with a college degree, there is no need to mention high school, as this will be assumed.
No one said job hunting was simple, so it’s important to do as much as possible to get your foot in the door. By using your resume as a powerful marketing tool, it will be much easier to successfully launch your career and snag the dream job you’ve always wanted.
Resume Writing For A Highly Competitive Job Market
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on July 18th, 2009
Most job hunters already know that a resume is a must when it comes to applying for jobs and getting potential employers to take notice, but unfortunately, most resumes are just not up to par. People actively seeking employment often fail to create an effective resume that will impress hiring managers and land interviews.
And yet, in today’s vigorous job market, at a time when layoffs are the norm and competition for jobs is cutthroat, it’s more important than ever that your resume catch the eyes of the recruiter or resume screener, who may spend no more than 30 seconds on each resume during the initial selection process. This is why your resume has to be more than a document listing your various accomplishments and achievements &ndash it must be a successful marketing tool.
A poorly constructed resume merely lists the applicant’s job history, using bullets to state past responsibilities, and entirely neglects to take advantage of marketing techniques that make a resume stand out from the crowd. You might be the hardest-working, most responsible individual around, but if your resume doesn’t make that clear, what will distinguish you from everyone else applying for the job, in the eyes of the hiring manager?
To avoid turning in a resume that blandly lists your qualities and work history, you must transform it into an accomplishment-driven piece of writing that clearly emphasizes the importance and relevance of each accomplishment.
It may not be easy to do this, but if you approach the process step-by-step, and use the basic sections of the resume to market your abilities, experience, and potential value to the employer, reworking your resume into a marketing machine is an attainable feat.
Starting From the Top
Arguably the most important part of the resume is the first three quarters of the page. Recruiters and screeners have to wade through stacks of resumes, so they tend to scan the first part of the first page to pare down the pile, initially. If you want to survive the preliminary cut, this section of your resume should be full of accomplishments that market your particular skills and capabilities to the specific employer and position.
Of course, your name and contact information appear in this section as well, but you should also include a professional summary in addition to, as mentioned above, the list of accomplishments.
Professional Summary
A professional summary is considered by many resume experts to be more effective than a stated “objective,” in today’s job market. It works as a sturdy introduction to a strong resume, and proves more powerful in the face of the 30-second scan because it offers the recruiter a snapshot of your most important attributes.
Use the summary as a short ad all about you. Include information in the first sentence or two regarding the type of position you’re looking for, and make it clear why you are different or better than the other applicants vying for the same position.
The final three or four sentences should identify your expertise and abilities that apply to the job in question. Make it clear why you can be an asset to the company! Acting as an introduction to the rest of your resume, the statements made in the professional summary need to be reinforced in the sections of the resume that follow.
Accomplishments
The accomplishments you decide to highlight in this section are important because past performance is a good indicator of what you can do for the company, if hired. Mentioning successes you have scored in the past is your best bet to landing an interview.
Just be sure to select 3-6 accomplishments that relate directly to the position you seek and make them quantifiable and measurable &ndash provide answers to questions such as how many/much? Which one? What kind? This will add substance to the facts you have stated.
The best way to determine what accomplishments to list here is to think from the perspective of the employer. Recruiters want to know why you could be an asset to the company &ndash perhaps you will save them time and money, or provide another favorable result? Highlight accomplishments that draw attention to your past successes in applicable areas of expertise.
The Body
This section of the resume profiles your professional experience. Here you make note of the companies you have worked for in the past, along with your title/position and the dates of employment (in years).
But be wary of falling into the trap of simply listing off your work experience. Even in this section of the resume, it’s extremely important to avoid compiling an inventory of job duties. Companies are interested in much more than surface achievements or responsibilities &ndash they are looking for people who can translate success achieved in past jobs to a future position. Make it clear what you can contribute to the employer.
For instance, if your past role was that of “manager,” make it clear that this involved leading a team of people and successfully motivating them to complete tasks on budget and on time. If you worked as a cashier or bank teller, note that you were trusted with money and worked well in a customer service capacity. Any awards you won can also be stated in this section &ndash just remember to quantify every statement you make!
Education
The final section of the resume lists educational information, as well as anything else that might be considered professional experience, such as continuing education, seminars, and other classes you have taken that are applicable to the job. Here you can also draw attention to any professional organizations and affiliations you belong to, as well as civic duties you perform and volunteer experience you have accumulated over the years, as long as it relates to the position you are attempting to win.
Always list the last degree completed first, without mentioning dates. For those with a college degree, there is no need to mention high school, as this will be assumed.
No one said job hunting was simple, so it’s important to do as much as possible to get your foot in the door. By using your resume as a powerful marketing tool, it will be much easier to successfully launch your career and snag the dream job you’ve always wanted.
Self Publishing, A Miracle Of The 21st Century.
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on July 17th, 2009
Are you a writer with lots of talent but no one will give you the time of day let alone a contract? Would you pay a professional publisher to make your book but can’t afford it? Do you need a better tool than your plain old word processor to make your work look more professional and desirable? Do you possess special knowledge that if packaged in a book could make you millions? Well fret not your answer is very available to you now in the form of self publishing software tools!
These tools are electronic publishers that produce professional grade quality at a fraction of the price that it costs a traditional publisher to produce a book. They produce the work in the form of a PDF file which can be sent with an email, saved onto any form of memory storage media, downloaded onto your website, etc. This is hundreds of times more convenient than traditional publishing efforts and again at a very small fraction of the price.
The software is easy to use, designed to be used by a person with a 2nd grade level computer IQ. So, not even close to rocket science. A person can become proficient at using the program and start writing in a matter of hours. Yes, you heard me right — you can have the necessary tools and be writing that book that you have been waiting a long time for in a matter of a few hours. Self publishing is a beautiful thing and I am just getting started.
When I said a fraction of the price of a typical publisher I only meant for one book. But think about it, you would have to continue to pay each time your next book came out which multiplies that fee over and over and over. But you only have to pay for the self publishing software once. It is very reasonably priced, and it is with you, at your beckoned call for life. Now that’s a deal.
The last benefit of self publishing that I am going to talk about (not even close to the last benefit there is) is the true freedom of speech that you retain when you buy this tool. What I am referring to really is the editing process which for those who have already been published know can be a brutal process. Basically anything that you right is at the mercy of the publishing editor when you go the traditional route. But if you publish your own work it stays as you want it which is the way it should be. That’s all for now, but if you want to know more just give me a ring, or fling me an email, or whichever you prefer.