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Graduating from college is probably one accomplishment you can take pride in. All your hard work has finally paid off. You are aching to enter the job market and put what you have learned to good use and finally earn that first paycheck. Eventually, you find out that looking for a decent job is not as easy as it seems. Most employers are looking for someone with experience. And you have no professional experience to speak of.

As a fresh graduate, it is best to target entry-level jobs as employers will generally expect not too much from you in terms of work experience. They do expect, however, that you have a degree majoring in a subject related to the role you are seeking. They will expect you to have some general experience learned from summer or part-time jobs and other community or volunteering involvements. So, how do you best present this information? This is where a functional resume format plays an important role.

It is applicable if you have just graduated and have no professional experience. Using a functional resume format, you can put more emphasis on your skills and competencies rather than a chronological order of your employment. As such, a functional resume format is popular among college students and fresh graduates keen to enter the corporate world for the first time.

Making a Functional Resume Format

1. Start your resume with a clearly defined career objective. Ensure that your career objective is relevant to the position that you are applying for. Your career objective must also indicate what you can offer to the company in terms of the skills and experience that you bring.

2. Your educational attainment is listed next on a good functional resume format. Include the university name, location, year graduated and subjects you majored in. List honors and achievements you received as this shows excellence in what you commit to. Trainings and courses undertaken can also be listed in a functional resume format as long as it supports the requirements of the role.

3. An important part of a functional resume format is the section for skills and competencies. Rather than listing work experiences in order, use the required skills and competencies as subheadings. If a role requires someone with an experience in customer relations, then you can use “Customer Relations” or “Customer Service Skills” as subheading. Then list duties and tasks that support and validate this competency. You will have a lot to work out from by considering your part-time or summer jobs, volunteer works, school projects you headed and the like. If you have good proofreading skills acquired from working for the school paper, then highlight it if you want to be employed as a proofreader. A functional resume format can work wonders if done right.

4. Include a section for references in the last part of the resume. As a recent graduate, you can use teachers and professors as references. However, you need to let them know beforehand.

Now, that you have a basic idea of the structure of a functional resume format, put that knowledge to good use. If you need some samples of how it is presented, the internet is a good place to search for. It offers plenty of useful samples of a functional resume format to use as a guide in making your own.

By: Mike Woods

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If it is not economically feasible for you to pay for a resume service, you can use a free Word resume template. A free sample resume can help you create a resume quickly. The layouts are already prepared, so you don’t waste time trying to setting the layouts yourself. Free resume templates are used a lot, and you are able to edit them to your liking.

Free Microsoft Word samples are like other free sample resumes. Having a good resume sample can shave off time in that they’re already formatted. They also have free resume samples that can be presented in a professional manner. The Microsoft samples are also tailored to put in the information that is needed.

The free Microsoft resumes have different formats. If you’re using the software, the resume package is pre-installed. The package includes Professional, Contemporary and Elegant templates that you can use. The Microsoft resume templates also have different formats: Entry Level, Chronological, Functional and Professional. Also included in the resume package of the software is a resume builder. The resume builder guides you through the steps of creating your resume. You just click and enter the information as requested.

You can find Word resumes online by typing in “free Word Resume Template”. To access free sample resumes from the Microsoft® website itself, go to the website and search for them. Follow the instructions for downloading.

You can create a presentable resume from the free Word samples, if you choose to use them. However, there are some people who are against using these free resumes because they consider them “cookie-cutter”. In other words, your resume doesn’t stand out because you used the same resume that many others used. Within the different formats and styles, you should be able to select one that best fits you. You can also modify it to your specifications.

The free Word resume templates differ from the pre-installed ones in the software. The purpose is to find a sample resume that is different and stands out. The free Word resume sample can do what other resumes can do. They provide formatting with headings and sections in the right place. The resume templates also include different fonts and designs, and it’s easy to enter the information you need.

Copyright 2007 Jay Tokarz

By: Jay Tokarz

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In the absence of a significant catastrophe like a hurricane or earthquake, finding a job as an insurance adjuster can prove challenging. The field for independent adjusters can be particularly tricky and those looking to break into the industry need every competitive advantage available to them. Knowing how to write an industry-focused insurance adjuster resume can provide new and experienced adjusters alike with a particularly unique advantage.

Crafting a powerful and effective resume for work as a claims adjuster obviously requires first understanding what particular qualities hiring companies look for. Here are 5 keys to a great resume based upon the particular needs of adjusting firms and insurance carriers:

Key #1: People Skills

Insurance claims adjusters should possess excellent people skills and hiring companies will certainly take notice of a resume that paints a picture of superior interpersonal communication. You don’t have to be Dale Carnegie, but you should be able to demonstrate an ability to deal with a wide variety of people in various stages of stress, anxiety, and agitation. Emphasize in your resume the polite, professional, and cordial manner with which you have effectively dealt with people under the aforementioned conditions.

Key #2: Construction/Engineering Experience

If you are applying for a position as a residential property adjuster, you will most certainly want to highlight your experience with residential construction. Do you have a working knowledge of how a house is put together? Do you know the difference between soffit and fascia? If so, how do you know? Have you worked on a construction crew? Operated as a general contractor? Helped your uncle out with building his deck? Adjusting firms in particular do not want to devote significant amounts of time in training their adjusters in basic construction terminology. Allay their fears immediately by highlighting your facility with the property construction pertinent to the position you are applying for.

Key #3: Computer Skills

The days of hand-written estimates are essentially over for the professional insurance adjuster. Estimates are written and submitted electronically and if you know your way around a computer it will be greatly to your advantage as you put together your resume. Many companies will not even consider a new hire unless he or she is comfortable using Xactimate 24/25 or MSB Integriclaim (the most commonly used property estimating programs). If you don’t know these programs consider taking a course in Xactimate or IntegriClaim. If you are unable to take a course, at the very least you should express clearly in your resume an ability to use Windows-based software. If you are completely computer illiterate, you may consider taking a Basic Computing course before you seriously pursue a career in claims.

Key #4: Insurance Policy Knowledge

Knowing how to read and apply an insurance policy is very important for any adjuster and hiring companies know it. If you have worked in the insurance industry before and have a basic knowledge of insurance terms and concepts you shouldn’t fail to portray as much in your resume. Even if it is as simple as having read your own homeowner’s or auto policy (more than most do!), you will want to let your prospective employer’s know about your comfort level with insurance policy jargon and interpretation.

Key #5: Time Management and Personal Accountability

Working as a claims adjuster, especially if you want to be an independent, requires outstanding time management as well as personal initiative and accountability. In putting together your resume, be sure to think about various experiences in your professional history in which multi-tasking and personal accountability were required and met. Within reason and your own honest ability, project the most professional, capable, can-do image possible. This, as much as anything, will leave a positive and lasting impression on your future employer.

A Final Thought on Your Adjuster Resume…

As resumes and curriculum vitaes are submitted more and more in electronic form, there is a temptation to lower your standards for the appearance and grammatical integrity for your resume. After all, we don’t observe Strunk and White’s Elements of Style when emailing and text messaging – why should we really observe those old-fashioned standards when posting an electronic resume? Indeed, many optimistic job seekers are submitting 2nd to 3rd grade quality material to career sites on the Web. Is it any wonder that no one is giving them a second glance?

Keep your standards high!

Take the time to write a well-considered, grammatically sound, and visually pleasing resume. And if you create your resume according to the 5 keys above, you will absolutely gain a competitive advantage as you look to launch or advance your insurance adjuster career.

By: Dan Kerr

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