Writing Your Virtual Call Center Job
Resume
Writing a professional
resume is something that you must do before applying for a virtual
call center job. It's going to be required by most companies, and
having a professional resume available in multiple formats is going to
save you lots of time later. It could even make the difference
between getting and not getting the job.
For most serious job applications your resume is the first impression
that potential employers get. And we all know the old cliché, first
impressions are everything.
The first impression your resume makes when applying for a virtual
call center job is even more important than it is when applying for
traditional jobs locally. This is because you are unlikely to meet
your prospective employer face-to-face. Only those applicants who
stand out on "paper" will receive further consideration.
And competition for these jobs is fierce, especially at companies that
hire agents as employees. How many people do you know that would like
to work from home? Employers offering virtual call jobs receive
hundreds and in some cases thousands of resumes each week.
Resumes that are improperly formatted, submitted incorrectly, filled
with spelling and grammatical errors, or lacking the required
information will be scanned and quickly filed away without further
review.
Here's what you can do to insure you stand out from the crowd:
Formatting Your Resume
When formatting your resume, prepare it in both plain text and
Microsoft Word document versions. Having your resume available in both
file formats will save you time later and satisfy the requirements of
most employers. If you do not have Microsoft Word installed on your
computer, OpenOffice.org offers a free alternative called Writer.
We recommend also preparing your resume in PDF format. There are
numerous free programs and services online that you can use to convert
your resume from most file formats to PDF.
Your resume is not the place to showcase your creativity.
Don't use fancy fonts. Use a standard, sans-serif font such as Arial
or Verdana in 10 or 12 point size. Don't use colors other than black,
and don't center information. It should be left-justified. This will
make your resume easier to read and increase the likelihood it gets
reviewed.
Submitting Your Resume
How you submit your resume will depend on the employer's requirements.
Some companies will require that you upload your resume to their
website, others will ask that you attach it to an email message, and
some will require you to copy and paste it into the body of an email
message. Be sure you submit it as required. Failure to do so will
likely cost you the job. After all, would you hire someone that cannot
follow simple instructions?
Spelling and Grammar
Resumes filled with misspelled words and grammatical errors are not
going to lead to a job. All standard word processing software has
spell-check. Use it. Read over your final version several times,
checking for common mistakes such as using "their" for "there". It may
also be helpful to have someone else read it.
Required Information
Be sure you include all of the required information in your resume.
Required information is your personal contact information, an
objective statement, work experience, skills, education and
references.
Contact Information
Place your personal contact information at the top of your resume in
the following format:
First Name Last Name
Address
City State Zip
Phone Number
Email Address
Objective Statement
Your objective statement should follow your contact information. It
should be no more than two or three sentences and state specifically
what type of position you are seeking. You can also briefly mention
experience and skills you possess relevant to the position you are
applying for.
Work Experience
Your work experience is next. Only relevant work experience must be
included. If you do not have any relevant work experience, you should
include your last 2-3 jobs, accounting for any periods of unemployment,
for at least the past 5 years. For each position, include job
title, company name, dates of employment or unemployment (month and
year), and responsibilities or reason for unemployment.
Education
List your educational accomplishments. Be sure to include any degrees,
certifications and specialized training you have received.
Skills
List any skills you possess relevant to the position you are seeking.
Include such things as typing, computer skills, Internet, email, and
specific business software programs you may be required to use on the
job, such as Microsoft Word.
References
List at least three business references (as opposed to personal references). Include
contact name, job title, company name, location and phone number for
each.
Final Considerations
When writing your resume for a virtual call center job, keep this in
mind. Your goal is to show that you have the specific skills and
abilities required by the job you are applying for and that you are
able to work independently without direct supervision. Use each
section of your resume to present information that supports these
conclusions.
Related Resources
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Sample of a resume in text file format
Sample of a resume in Word file format
Sample of a resume in PDF file format
Once you have prepared your resume in several formats, you're almost
ready to start researching potential employers and applying for jobs,
but before you do there are a couple of other things you still must
attend to.
No resume is complete without a cover letter, and that's the next
topic, "Writing a Cover
Letter for a Virtual Call Center Job".
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