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Rabu, 29 Juni 2011

#5 Autentikasi Login Zend Framework: Membuat web-aplikasi menggunakan Zend Framework

#5 Autentikasi Login Zend Framework: Membuat web-aplikasi menggunakan Zend Framework

Sebelumnya, kita pernah membuat an mengenal Session di PHP, Pembuatan Struktur table untuk Login, Membuat Form Login pada Zend Framework.

Sekarang kita akan coba untuk menggabungkan ketiga nya, dimana session akan menggunakan cara nya Zend Framework.

Pertama, buka file /application/config.php kemudian tambahkan script berikut :

;Session Setting
resources.session.save_path = APPLICATION_PATH "/../data/session"
resources.session.use_only_cookies = true
resources.session.remember_me_seconds = 864000
resources.session.saveHandler.class = "Zend_Session_SaveHandler_DbTable"
resources.session.saveHandler.options.name = "session"
resources.session.saveHandler.options.primary.session_id = "session_id"
resources.session.saveHandler.options.primary.save_path = "save_path"
resources.session.saveHandler.options.primary.name = "name"
resources.session.saveHandler.options.primaryAssignment.sessionId = "sessionId"
resources.session.saveHandler.options.primaryAssignment.sessionSavePath = "sessionSavePath"
resources.session.saveHandler.options.primaryAssignment.sessionName = "sessionName"
resources.session.saveHandler.options.modifiedColumn = "modified"
resources.session.saveHandler.options.dataColumn = "session_data"
resources.session.saveHandler.options.lifetimeColumn = "lifetime"

Sebelum nya pada form login.php, terdapat sintak berikut :

class Application_Form_Login extends Zend_Form{
public function init()
{
// Set the method for the display form to POST
$this->setMethod('post');
$this->setAction('http://localhost/pos/Login');
.....
...

pada script $this->setAction(‘http://localhost/pos/Login’); , manandakan bahkan Login adalah Controller yang akan kita tuju, dimana action yang akan dieksekusi adalah indexAction. Sehingga kita buat Sebuah Controller.

/Application/Controller/LoginController.php, kemudian buat script seperti berikut :

class LoginController extends Zend_Controller_Action {
private $session_namespace = "pos";
public function init(){
//$this->_helper->layout->disableLayout();
}
public function indexAction()
{
$user = $this->getRequest()->getParam("username");
$pass = $this->getRequest()->getParam("password");
$data = array('username'=>$user,'password'=>$pass);
$oUser = new Application_Model_vwuser($this->db);
$oUser->_sqlAndStatement($data);
$rowset = $oUser->_sqlFetchData();
if (count($rowset) > 0){
$session = New Zend_Session_Namespace($this->session_namespace);
foreach($rowset as $r){
$session->__set('logon', 'true');
$session->__set('kodeuser', $r->cd);
$session->__set('username', $r->username);
$session->__set('password', md5($r->password));
$session->__set('upassword', $r->password);
$session->__set('idkelompokuser', $r->idkelompokuser);
$session->__set('namakelompokuser', $r->nama);
}
$this->_redirect('/?login=success');
}else{
$this->_redirect('/?err=login');
}
}
}

Penjelasan :
saat kita memasukan nama user dan password pada teks Box Login. Variabel yang dilemparkan adalah username dan password, disini kita lihat perbedaan, dimana biasanya kita menangkap sebuah variabel dengan cara :

$a = $_POST["variable"];
// atau
$a = $_GET["variable"];
// atau
$a = $_REQUEST["variable"];

namun pada Zend kita menggunakan

$user = $this->getRequest()->getParam("username");
$pass = $this->getRequest()->getParam("password");

kemudian variable tersebut dilemparkan ke Model vwuser (untuk pembuatan model dapat dilihat disini)

Script dibawah ini kita memasukan variable kedalam array yang nantinya akan dipisahkan didalam model sebagai kriteria pemilihan data.

$data = array('username'=>$user,'password'=>$pass);

Model sendiri dibentuk dengan membuat Class pada php, sehingga kita perlu meng-instan Class tersebut agar menjadi object dan menggunakan menthod yang ada didalamnya

$oUser = new Application_Model_vwuser($this->db);

Script ini sebetulnya membentuk sintak :
“Select * FROM WHERE (data[0] AND data[1])”

$oUser->_sqlAndStatement($data);

Kemudian kita eksekusi dan menampungnya didalam sebuah array.

$rowset = $oUser->_sqlFetchData();

Hasil dari $oUser->_sqlFetchData(); adalah sebuah array yang memiliki nilai didalamnya.
Logika sederhana untuk login ini adalah sebagai berikut :
IF username = true AND password = TRUE, result = TRUE, berarti terdapat data yang memenuhi keriteria tersebut. tetapi kita memanfaatkan fungsi count($array[]) milik php, berhubung data yang dihasilkan berupa array.

if (count($rowset) > 0){

maksudnya, jika jumlah data lebih dari 0 (Nol), kita daftarkan ke session kemudian melemparkan halaman utama ke dengan cara

$session = New Zend_Session_Namespace($this->session_namespace);
foreach($rowset as $r){
$session->__set('logon', 'true');
$session->__set('kodeuser', $r->cd);
$session->__set('username', $r->username);
$session->__set('password', md5($r->password));
$session->__set('upassword', $r->password);
$session->__set('idkelompokuser', $r->idkelompokuser);
$session->__set('namakelompokuser', $r->nama);
}
$this->_redirect('/?login=success');

method yang sering digunakan secara sederhana dalam penggunaan session adalah:

$session->__set(, ); //untuk menyimpan session
$var = $session->__get(, ); //untuk mendapatkan session

Sampai disini selesai lah tugas kita untuk membuat Login dalam Zend Framework.

Selasa, 28 Juni 2011

#15 What good books have you read lately? (Answer an Interview Questions)

#15 What good books have you read lately? (Answer an Interview Questions)

TRAPS: As in all matters of your interview, never fake familiarity you don’t have. Yet you don’t want to seem like a dullard who hasn’t read a book since Tom Sawyer.

BEST ANSWER: Unless you’re up for a position in academia or as book critic for The New York Times, you’re not expected to be a literary lion. But it wouldn’t hurt to have read a handful of the most recent and influential books in your profession and on management.

Consider it part of the work of your job search to read up on a few of these leading books. But make sure they are quality books that reflect favorably upon you, nothing that could even remotely be considered superficial. Finally, add a recently published bestselling work of fiction by a world-class author and you’ll pass this question with flying colors.

#14 Tell me honestly about the strong points and weak points of your boss (company, management team, etc.) (Answer an Interview Questions)

#14 Tell me honestly about the strong points and weak points of your boss (company, management team, etc.) (Answer an Interview Questions)

TRAPS: Skillful interviewers sometimes make it almost irresistible to open up and air a little dirty laundry from your previous position. DON’T

BEST ANSWER: Remember the rule: Never be negative. Stress only the good points, no matter how charmingly you’re invited to be critical.

Your interviewer doesn’t care a whit about your previous boss. He wants to find out how loyal and positive you are, and whether you’ll criticize him behind his back if pressed to do so by someone in this own company. This question is your opportunity to demonstrate your loyalty to those you work with.

Jumat, 24 Juni 2011

Session di PHP?

Session di PHP?

Apa sih gunanya session di PHP? Beberapa pengunjung setia blog saya ini menanyakan hal tersebut ke saya baik lewat email, YM atau sekedar komentar di blog ini. Nah… melalui tulisan inilah, saya akan berusaha untuk menjawabnya.

Secara umum, session digunakan untuk menyimpan suatu informasi antar proses request, baik request dalam bentuk POST atau GET. Bingung yah ?? He.. he.. he… OK saya akan ambil contoh untuk menggambarkan hal ini.

Salah satu contoh yang menggambarkan penggunaan session adalah proses login. Dalam hal ini user akan memasukkan usernamenya melalui form login. Setelah login berhasil, user tersebut dihadapkan pada link menu navigasi yang menuju ke beberapa halaman web. Nah… apabila kita ingin username tersebut akan selalu tampil atau tercatat di halaman-halaman web tersebut, maka username tadi haruslah disimpan dalam session.

Untuk memudahkan lagi pemahaman terutama penggunaan session dalam Zend Framework, Kita buat script yang menggambarkan keadaan di atas.

Pertama-tama kita buat form login terlebih dahulu

login.php

Usename Password

Nah… selanjutnya kita buat script untuk mengolah proses login. Oya, dalam hal ini andaikan password login diabaikan dahulu ya… karena saya akan fokuskan pembahasan ke konsep session, bukan proses loginnya. Dengan arti lain, untuk contoh ini anggap saja proses loginnya sukses. Login dikatakan sukses bila password yang dimasukkan user yang bersangkutan ketika dalam form login sama dengan passwordnya yang tersimpan dalam aplikasi.

submit.php

Selamat datang ".$namauser."

"; echo "

Berikut ini menu navigasi Anda

"; echo "

Menu 1 Menu 2 Menu 3

"; } ?>

Dari script di atas tampak bahwa username akan muncul atau dikenal di halaman submit.php. Username ini akan ditampilkan di ucapan selamat datang. Mengapa username ini dikenal di halaman ini? Ya… karena halaman submit.php ini merupakan halaman tujuan langsung setelah proses request melalui form login. Selanjutnya perhatikan, bahwa setelah login sukses terdapat 3 link menuju ke suatu halaman tertentu. Harapan kita, di setiap halaman tersebut username akan selalu tercatat dan ditampilkan. OK… kita buat script untuk masing-masing halaman tersebut.

hal1.php

Ini halaman pertama"; echo "

Anda login sebagai ".$namauser."

"; echo "

Berikut ini menu navigasi Anda

"; echo "

Menu 1 Menu 2 Menu 3

"; ?>

hal2.php

Ini halaman kedua"; echo "

Anda login sebagai ".$namauser."

"; echo "

Berikut ini menu navigasi Anda

"; echo "

Menu 1 Menu 2 Menu 3

"; ?>

hal3.php

Ini halaman ketiga"; echo "

Anda login sebagai ".$namauser."

"; echo "

Berikut ini menu navigasi Anda

"; echo "

Menu 1 Menu 2 Menu 3

"; ?>

perhatikan bahwa dalam ketiga script masing-masing halaman tujuan, username akan ditampilkan dalam statu login. Namun apa yang terjadi bila kita menuju ke halaman-halaman tersebut? Munculkah username tersebut? Bim… salabim… ternyata username tidak muncul. Sehingga dari contoh ini dapat kita simpulkan bahwa username ini hanya akan dikenal pada proses request pertama (login), setelah itu bila menuju ke halaman-halaman lain pada link (proses request kedua, ketiga dst…) maka username tersebut tidak dikenali lagi. So… gimana donk, supaya username tersebut masih bisa dikenali? Yup… kita bisa menggunakan session untuk menyimpan username tersebut. Kenapa kok istilahnya ‘bisa’, bukannya ‘harus’ ? Ya… karena penggunaan session ini merupakan salah satu cara saja, cara yang lain kita bisa menggunakan cookies.

jadi kita bisa menggunakan session, lantas caranya bagaimana menyimpan username ini ke dalam session? Caranya adalah memberikan perintah berikut ini:

$_SESSION['namauser'] = $username; 

Perintah di atas disisipkan pada script submit.php. Oya.. jangan lupa sebelum perintah tersebut diberikan, session harus dijalankan terlebih dahulu dengan perintah session_start(). Sehingga isi dari script submit.php menjadi seperti ini

submit.php Selamat datang ".$namauser."

"; echo "

Berikut ini menu navigasi Anda

"; echo "

Menu 1 Menu 2 Menu 3

"; } ?>

Secara umum, perintah untuk menyimpan nilai ke dalam session adalah sebagai berikut

$_SESSION['nama session'] = value; 

untuk nama session tidak boleh ada spasi. Kita tidak hanya bisa menyimpan suatu nilai berbentuk tunggal ke dalam session, namun bisa juga nilai berupa array.

Sekarang… bagaimana cara menampilkan nilai yang telah tersimpan dalam session? ya… caranya hanya dengan memanggil sessionnya. Berikut ini contoh untuk menampilkan username yang telah disimpan ke dalam session pada kasus di atas.

submit.php

Selamat datang ".$_SESSION['namauser']."

"; echo "

Berikut ini menu navigasi Anda

"; echo "

Menu 1 Menu 2 Menu 3

"; } ?>

hal1.php

Ini halaman pertama"; echo "

Anda login sebagai ".$_SESSION['namauser']."

"; echo "

Berikut ini menu navigasi Anda

"; echo "

Menu 1 Menu 2 Menu 3

"; ?>

hal2.php

Ini halaman kedua"; echo "

Anda login sebagai ".$_SESSION['namauser']."

"; echo "

Berikut ini menu navigasi Anda

"; echo "

Menu 1 Menu 2 Menu 3

"; ?>

hal3.php

Ini halaman ketiga"; echo "

Anda login sebagai ".$_SESSION['namauser']."

"; echo "

Berikut ini menu navigasi Anda

"; echo "

Menu 1 Menu 2 Menu 3

"; ?>

satu lagi, setiap akan menampilkan nilai session perintah session_start() harus diberikan terlebih dahulu. Perhatikan pada script di atas untuk melihat hal ini!

Setelah menggunakan session, dapat Anda lihat bahwa username ini akan selalu tampak pada setiap halaman yang ada.

Nah… mungkin ada pertanyaan lain. Bagaimana cara menghapus nilai session yang telah tersimpan? Nilai session ini akan terhapus otomatis begitu browser ditutup atau keluar dari browser. Cara lain adalah dengan menggunakan perintah session_destroy() atau unset($_SESSION['nama session']). Bedanya apa antara kedua perintah tersebut? session_destroy() digunakan untuk menghapus semua session. Jadi, misalkan dalam script Anda terdapat 10 nama session, dan misalkan Anda ingin menghapus semua session tersebut maka gunakan session_destroy(). Lalu unset($_SESSION['nama session']) digunakan untuk menghapus session tertentu saja.

Konsep penghapusan nilai session ini, dapat diterapkan pada proses logout. Karena pada prinsipnya proses logout ini adalah menghapus nilai session (dalam hal ini adalah username) yang telah tersimpan. Berikut ini contoh script logout.

logout .php

 

Apabila script logout ini dijalankan, maka username yang telah tersimpan tadi tidak akan muncul lagi di halaman-halaman yang ada.

Manfaat session yang lain adalah dapat mencegah user mengakses halaman-halaman tertentu yang sifatnya private tanpa melakukan login (by pass). Dalam contoh di atas, Anda akan dapat mengakses halaman 1, halaman 2 dan 3 secara langsung tanpa proses login terlebih dahulu. Nah… dengan session, Anda dapat membuat ketiga halaman tersebut tidak bisa diakses oleh user yang masuk tanpa proses login. Idenya adalah dengan mendeteksi session username. Pendeteksian ini dilakukan di ketiga halaman tersebut. Bila terdeteksi nilai session username ini masih kosong, maka dianggap user yang mengakses tersebut tidak melakukan login terlebih dahulu, sehingga akses harus diblok. Berikut ini script untuk mendeteksi session username yang masih kosong.

cek.php

 

Script di atas nantinya akan disisipkan ke ketiga halaman private menggunakan include(). Perintah ini disisipkan sebelum menampilkan konten yang ada pada halaman tersebut. Berikut ini contoh menyisipkan script cek.php ke halaman pertama. Untuk halaman yang lain, caranya sama

hal1.php

Ini halaman pertama"; echo "

Anda login sebagai ".$_SESSION['namauser']."

"; echo "

Berikut ini menu navigasi Anda

"; echo "

Menu 1 Menu 2 Menu 3

"; ?>

Begitu terdeteksi user yang mengakses halaman tersebut tanpa login, maka akan muncul ‘Anda belum login’, sedangkan konten halaman aslinya tidak akan muncul. Hal ini karena efek dari perintah ‘exit’.

Demikian penjelasan penggunaan session dan manfaatnya. Mudah-mudahan penjelasan panjang lebar ini bisa bermanfaat bagi Anda semuanya.

Kamis, 23 Juni 2011

Resume Writing Tips: By job seekers, for job seekers

Resume Writing Tips: By job seekers, for job seekers

Nowadays, many employers are seeking people that have the experience to work with their companies. So in your resume, please state clearly your job experiences. Do not feel shy to write about your experiences even though you only have one or two.

Alex Lee
Most people think that having a resume that is comprehensively filled with details of their achievements and experiences is the way to go in securing their dream job. This is not always true as executives are busy people who usually glance through resumes as opposed to spending a long time reading them. The tip is to focus on several relevant strengths pertaining to the job you are applying and keep them concise. Remember, quality better than quantity.

Ramlee Bin Sulaiman
Do not lie about your qualifications. A degree holder should not keep his qualification a secret when applying for a position that needs a lower qualification as the number of unemployed graduates are increasing and the competition to secure a job is high.

Fong Hui Hui
Limit your Resume to one or two pages. Include only relevant information. Set your objective in the Resume. Use buzz words. Check for spelling accuracy. Be consistent with the layout throughout the entire Resume. Have someone else read and comment on it before printing the final copy.

Lim Theen Kin
Resume is the first impression of you! A bad resume gives a bad impression. A good resume gives a good impression. Whenever you write a resume, keep your language simple and organized. A good resume must not have any typo error. If you need another person to proofread your resume, get it done. It is better to be cautious than to be sorry.

Mazlan Muslim
Keep your resume to the point and stress the important facts and figures that relate to the job you are looking for. Include IT-savvy items such as the use of spreadsheet and word processing software and other technical software for the relevant post. One’s strength in language(s) and courses attended must be included, besides the academic credentials.

Shirley Leong
We do not have to be looking for a job to write a resume. A resume reflects our career profile, experience and skills that we acquire daily. Therefore, build and improve our resume as time goes by. At least when we are ready to look for a job opportunity, we already have an up-to-date resume to use.

Tan Kok Hong
Be precise with your job titles, roles and responsibilities. Do not over-sell yourself. Be short and straight to the point on your work achievements – bullet points are recommended.

Goh Ching Kai
Always prepare a hard copy of your resume and other copies of useful documents. Many interviewers have your documents in their PC but they prefer to glance through those documents during interviews to look for things that they wish to know more from you instead of reading on the PC monitor.

Goh Ching Kai
Write down something unique about yourself. Some little experience in participating or organising any activity, be it official or just casual among your friends, will help. For example, organising a trip for your friends can be a tough task even if it not official. Just write itdown.

Kugendran Shanmuganathan
If you want to market yourself right, it begins with a well-drafted resume and honest details of what you have to offer.

Kugendran Shanmuganathan
Resumes are like brochures of yourself. They have to stand out from the competition if you expect to be sold (recruited) to the best in the industry.

Alex Lee
When mentioning achievements in a job, make sure the end result is S.M.A.R.T which are Specific, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic and Time framed. However, do not overdo it and try not to be arrogant.

How To Write A Winning and Marketable Resume

How To Write A Winning and Marketable Resume

“Your resume is the first point of contact with a prospective employer; so make sure it gives a good first impression”

Do you know that a typical executive job advertisement in Saturday’s The Straits Times Recruit page can easily attract an average of 100+ job applications? How would you like to stand out among the crowd and be selected for the interview?

As a HR professional and certified resume writer, I have had the opportunity to vet thousands of resumes and sat in several recruitment interviews. What became obvious was that those outstanding resumes usually get the attention of the HR Manager faster and therefore put them ahead of the rest in terms of getting an interview and of course, the job offer.

But what makes a resume outstanding?

Basically, it answers the following questions, which most resumes do not:

  • “Why should we hire you?”
  • “What can you value add to our organisation?”
  • “How can you best contribute to our company?”

Here are some additional tips which you may wish to consider before you submit another resume:

  1. Start your resume with a summary of qualifications, which consist of three to five statements of your career experience. Unless you are a fresh graduate or intend to switch career, it is not appropriate to start your resume with an objective. I have observed that many executives, including senior management tend to overlook this, and miss out on the opportunity to highlight their best attributes right upfront, for example, ” 15+ years of product marketing experience”.
  2. List your professional strengths next. Don’t just give general statements but use keywords or buzzwords that companies and recruiters need to see, for example, “Marketing management”, “Cost controls”, and “Product training”.
  3. Highlight your achievements. Be clear and specific about what you have accomplished under different job positions or titles. Don’t just state your job duties and responsibilities but go a step further to show the impact or results of what you have accomplished for the organization. Wherever possible, quantify your achievements, for instance, “increased sales turnover 80 percent through new product launch and innovative pricing strategies”.
  4. Having written your job responsibilities and achievements, you should then present your educational qualifications and training. The most common practice is to state the degree earned, name of university and year of graduation. Be true to what you say. For example, if you complete a three-year course but did not graduate, do not say that you have gotten the qualification.
  5. Put some effort to make sure the overall layout or presentation of your resume gives a good visual appeal. Format your resume well. Choose the correct font size and layout to avoid too much white space. Also avoid cramming too much on one page. The overall effect should be that your resume projects a touch of class and professionalism.

Do remember that your resume ought to be a “marketing masterpiece” and not just a mere collection of past histories. Your resume is the first point of contact that determines if you should be granted an interview. It is therefore important to put your best effort in creating a good first impression.

Writing a Career Objective in a resume

Writing a Career Objective in a resume

If you must include an objective in your resume, make sure it’s not an afterthought-or a mere garnishing that does nothing to increase your chances of landing that job. “Shoot for the moon, and maybe land among the stars.” This is the way most career objectives sound in the resume of inexperienced job seekers. Vague. Uncertain. Aiming for everything and nothing. That is why, some experts warn, “If you cannot say it clearly, don’t say anything at all.” Why is this problem so common?

For most of us, a career objective is something thrown in-almost as an afterthought-when cooking up a resume. Something like a garnishing. An extra ingredient to spice things up. We think of it simply as an optional blank field we may choose to fill up with standard words in a standard format. Or, worse, with copied words from someone else’s resume.

But if a career objective is just garnishing, as some people think it is, then why is it always placed on the crucial first line of the resume? This is the first statement the recruiter reads, after your name and contact numbers. Is that strategic placement just an accident? On the other hand, if this line is so important, then why the cavalier treatment?

The One True Objective
This attitude-and the resulting vagueness-seems to come from the fact that most of us don’t really know what we mean by career objective. Reading between the lines of expert opinions, we begin to see that they may really be talking about two different kinds of objectives:

  1. A career objective for your life; and
  2. A career objective for your resume

Come again? Focus those glazing eyes, and let’s take a closer look.

The dictionary defines “career” as “a person’s advancement through life, especially in a profession.” Job-hunting guru Richard Nelson Bolles is probably one of the staunchest proponents of the idea that we should aim for our one, true desire in life-and state that as our career objective. No two minds about it. For him, that objective is the whole point of the job hunt.

“Forget what is available out there. Go after what you really want,” he advises boldly in the best-selling, annually updated book, What Color is your Parachute?

Does he differentiate between one’s objective in life and the objective stated in the resume? Since Bolles is one career expert who does not think that a resume is a necessity, a statement of career objective specifically for a resume is not even a relevant issue to him.

In effect, he is saying that a resume is just an optional tool that a job seeker may choose not to use in the hunting process. It seems that if he has his way, he will do away with it completely. Go, figure. Still, he maintains that should a job hunter use one, he must make sure that he, the job seeker, “shines through” all the words he puts in his resume.

In short, the resume should be tailored around the job hunter’s career objective-his life objective-not the other way around. “Don’t be a job-beggar,” he says. “Be a resource person.” Developing one’s career objective in this vein is a hunter-driven process, which begins and ends with what the hunter is truly seeking.

Tailor-Fit Your Objective to Your Resume
On the other hand, other experts take off on the common and very practical perception that we have to work with “what is available out there.” What are the jobs on the market that a job hunter can apply for? Which jobs can fit, more or less, with his general direction in life? Which jobs can help him, in a step-by-step way, move toward his life objective.

For these experts, having several versions of a resume with several versions of a career objective is a real job-hunting necessity. Make sure that your career objectives will match the particular needs of the target employer, they advise. Makes a lot of sense, right? You do want a job, pay those bills.

Hence, it is important to clearly identify the parameters that the job seeker can work around-certain combinations of the following key elements, depending on what he wants to stress:

* The position (accounting, nursing)
* The field (publishing, computer technology)
* The hunter’s marketable skills (human relations, mathematical abilities)

So as not to turn off those recruiters, heed these general guidelines for writing career objectives:

* Be concise (but not so specific that you limit yourself too much).
* Use verb phrases rather than sentences (Example: Seeking . . . rather than I seek).
* Be sure the objective is compatible with the resume.
* Demonstrate your value as a candidate and as an asset, not what you will get.

In short, it is a market-driven process of developing objectives. The main aim is to make a hit with at least one of the available positions, in one of the open fields, with some of the hunters’ marketable sets of skills. The lay of the land is defined by what the employers offer and the hunter must fit his objective(s) within this topography.

Assess Yourself
The trouble with most career objectives we read is that they wobble between these two kinds of objectives, undecided. It is probably better for a job seeker to approach the job hunt one way or the other, but not somewhere in between. That is the surest path to vagueness and awkwardness.

In any case, though the experts differ on many things, they seem to agree on one thing. Always start with a comprehensive self-assessment. They are one in saying: Clarify your career objectives (whichever kind they mean) by clarifying who you are.

So, let’s get to the crux of the matter. After you’ve carefully assessed yourself, specifically your strengths and abilities, along with the tasks you have performed in previous jobs and how you intend to use them in the next one, what do you do next?

The next logical step, of course, is to labor at phrasing your objective well, making sure it does not sound “I-centered.” Consider this example: “A position as a sales engineer requiring superior skills in managing and monitoring sales and promotions of equipment to clients.” Now, contrast this with: “A position as a sales engineer, where I can enhance my skills in managing and monitoring sales and promotions of equipment to clients and eventually advance to higher positions.” The difference between the two is obvious: the first is targeted at meeting the prospective employer’s needs; the second emphasizes what the job seeker hopes to gain from, not contribute to, the prospective employer.

Keep in mind that similar positions could vary from one company to another. Therefore, you would do well to refrain from using job titles in career objectives. That way you don’t limit your chances of being considered for the job that you want. This is not to say that very specific objectives have no use. If you really want a job that requires very specific skills, then, by all means, make your objective specific-but not limiting. This means your objective can apply to other jobs even if you must specify the skills that you think make you the perfect fit for the job you’re applying for.

In the end, it is the job hunter’s call what to aim for and how to state his or her career objective. Helpful resources are everywhere, specifically on the Internet. And the market is out there for the hunting.

by Adora C. Balmes

13 Tips to Writing the Right Resume

13 Tips to Writing the Right Resume

Coming up with a resume that makes jaded HR people sit up and take notice isn’t as difficult as it sounds. The trick is to make sure it’s worthwhile reading anytime.

How to come up with a resume that works–now there’s a dilemma shared by fresh graduates and working stiffs alike. What exactly do you put in and leave out to convince the HR manager that you will be a wise addition to their company ranks? It’s a tough set of decisions to make, akin to those you make when going on a blind date: You worry yourself sick over what to wear, what perfume to use, what to say to make the other person like you.

Writing resumes is, after all, fundamentally a marketing act. It’s a way to advertise yourself and stand out in the marketplace crowd of similarly competent, qualified workers.

Forget about being modest. As career specialist J. Michael Farr, writing in the online magazineVidBook.com, says, “Your resume is no place to be humble.”

How then do you design yours so that it comes off not as a pompous recitation of accomplishments the way a politician may do his, but as a compelling summary of your most attractive qualities?

Remember what your resume is not for: It’s not meant to get you a job. Not yet, anyway. Its mission is to get you a job interview–which would hopefully lead to a job offer. But think of that as a long-term goal. First, your resume should be able to get your foot in the door by attracting the reader’s attention enough to wangle an invitation for that first big look-see.

HR practitioners thumb through countless resumes in the course of their work. How do you make yours so fetching it warrants a face-to-face encounter?

Here’s a 13–step guide to constructing a professional resume that gets your foot in that all-important door.

  • Gather your materials. Begin by putting everything down on paper–contact details, work history and accomplishments, academic background, seminars attended, honors received, skills and proficiencies, personal details, etc. Don’t worry about organizing them at this point; just make sure you don’t leave out anything major, substantial, or relevant.Pay particular attention to dates and places–say, periods of employment–as mistakes in these areas may leave an impression of sloppiness, or worse, fudging on your part.
  • Start with your name and contact details. Your contact information should come right at the top of the resume after your name for easy and convenient reference by the reader. Include all possible contact details: postal address, landline and mobile phone numbers, fax numbers, and e-mail address. The last one is particularly important, because in these tech-savvy times, an email address shows that you are, at the very least, computer literate.
  • State a job objective. A well-developed job objective statement “can be a useful way of demonstrating yourself to be a focused individual,” says VirtualResume.com, an online job placement company. If you’re responding to an advertisement, your job objective can be as simple as the position title (e.g., “Finance Manager”).But if you’re aiming to keep your options open for other positions within a broad range of expertise, you can write a more general description of the work and corporate environment you want to focus on (e.g., “To apply my extensive experience in finance and administration to senior management positions in a highly motivated, forward-looking multicultural company”).Beware of generic objectives such as “employment in a position commensurate to my qualifications” or “to secure a regular position.”
  • Write a brief summary of qualifications. Cynthia Buiza, an HR and corporate communications officer at a Thailand-based NGO, says she appreciates resumes that provide upfront a concise summary of the applicant’s qualifications.”I get the impression that the applicant knows his strengths very well, but more importantly, that he can help me evaluate his credentials in a paragraph or so.” Such small gestures of consideration, she says, go a long way toward distinguishing a thoughtful resume from the run-of-the-mill.Your summary of qualifications should include:
    • number of years of professional experience
    • areas of expertise and career highlights (e.g., “at 26, youngest officer promoted to manager in bank history”)
    • unique skills and competencies (e.g., “part-time financials instructor at the SAP Academy”)
    • other information underlining your particular qualifications for the job

    The summary’s task is to make your credentials a cut above the rest. But make it brief; two or three sentences should do.

  • Lead with your professional experience. Unless you are a new graduate, you should begin the body of your resume with an outline of your employment history, starting with your most recent work. List down all the jobs you’ve had, the company names, dates of employment, titles and responsibilities.”Don’t censor this list; include everything,” advises VidBook.com. A fairly straightforward rundown of your professional experience emphasizes a strong and consistent work history.A choppy one, on the other hand, where you jump from one company to another within fairly short periods, or have unaccounted pockets of unemployment, will inevitably lead to questions about your work ethic, your sense of stability, company loyalty, etc. That’s why it’s best not to leave a gap. Account for everything, even for time spent outside of professional work (e.g., “1990-1993—Full-time parent,” or “1998-1999–Study and travel”).
  • Highlight concrete achievements. When you describe your professional experience, don’t just enumerate your job responsibilities. A comprehensive job description will only pad up your resume; save it for the interview. Instead, emphasize any major accomplishments you had chalked up in the job. Use numbers, figures, percentages if possible.At the September 1994 Professional Association of Resume Writers’ Annual Convention in St. Louis, Missouri, USA (yes, there is such a thing), invited HR panelists were one in saying they searched for certain key words and phrases that provided a barometer of a potential candidate’s qualifications. These words were active verbs that described the applicant as a results-oriented, dynamic individual, such as “accomplish, achieve, analyze, delegate, establish.”In other words, describe your job in the active, not the passive, voice. Why say, for instance, “Directly responsible for coordinating community programs” when you can say “Managed community programs with P12-million annual budget, 4 employees, and 3 office branches; streamlined program operations, increasing revenues by 20% over a period of 3 months.”
  • Emphasize your educational preparedness. If you are a new graduate with no professional experience, lead with your academic background, honors, and extra-curricular activities. Don’t believe the fillip that grades don’t matter in the real world; in the beginning at least, they do.As Fred Damian, HR partner of Ernst & Young-Manila, explains, potential employers understandably give hiring priority to young people who have more or less proven themselves in academic tasks and school-related activities. Positions of responsibility in extra-curricular and community organizations are also reliable indicators of leadership and social interaction skills, he says. Thus, make sure they’re all in your resume.Leave off the negative points. If you made it to the dean’s list in the first semester of your first year and never made it again, it might be prudent not to include the details anymore. That is, unless you’re prepared to admit during the interview that after a glowing start, you sputtered to a lame finish. Your educational background should always be positive and purposeful, to encourage the thinking that you are well prepared for the rigors of the corporate world.

    Include special skills and competencies. This is important, particularly in a highly competitive knowledge-based industry such as IT. In your resume, include the titles, dates, venues, and agenda of all your training activities and further education, whether formal or informal. Begin with the most relevant seminars. Be specific: don’t just say “assorted computer training,” when you can say “training in Visual Basic, SAP,” etc. If you are fluent in more than one language, mention that fact, too.

  • Either include references–or don’t mention them. There are two schools of thought on this: One says it’s necessary to include references. The other says this only lengthens the resume, and should therefore be available in another sheet of paper only upon request.Damian, however, advises against using the standard “References available upon request” line. “It’s either you mention references, or none at all,” he says. “What’s the point of putting in a header for ‘References’ only to say ‘Available upon request?’” But if you do include references, include as well their complete contact details—especially telephone numbers and email addresses, and also the best time to get in touch with them.
  • Use personal details sparingly. In the US where job-discrimination laws are wide ranging and explicit, “a potential employer has no legal right to request information about age, sex, race, religion, marital status, health, physical appearance, or personal habits,” explains The Writing Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.Such statutes have yet to find root locally, but it is best to leave out as much extraneous (read: personal) information as possible from your resume, to free up limited space. These include names and occupations of parents, hobbies and interests, birthplace, etc. Reserve them for the interview proper.
  • Be concise. Resumes are often read in 30 seconds or less so be brief, straightforward and to the point. Use bullet points to underscore important information. Employ paragraph breaks, lines, and numbers. A standard resume should be no more than two pages—three at most if you have extensive professional experience. Beyond that, your resume needs serious editing.
  • Proofread! There should be no typographical or spelling errors in your resume. When using numbers, re-check decimal places or the number of zeros. Punctuation and date formats should be consistent. For example, if you write “2 February 2000″ in one section, don’t write “March 5, 2000″ in another.
  • Make it an easy read. Your resume should also be visually appealing; a carelessly printed, sloppily designed resume will reflect disastrously on you. Thus, make it easy on the eye with lots of white spaces, a font no smaller than 10 in size, and at most two conservative typestyles (such as Times New Roman or Garamond). Underlined and bold text should be used sparingly–only to highlight significant information or to indicate section breaks.Another crucial point: Use a laser printer. With cheap laser printing services available even in neighborhood computer shops nowadays, there is no excuse for jet ink-printed resumes, which easily smudge or run off. Make sure that the printing is even, with no stray marks, splotches or blurred letters.Finally, use only high-quality bond paper–either white or off-white. Don’t experiment with flashy colors such as blue or green, or with fancy graphics and visuals; stick to the simple and straightforward.

One more suggestion: Once written up, show your resume to friends or colleagues. Listen to their comments and suggestions, especially on how easy or difficult it is to find important information at a glance. Then consider all that when rewriting the final draft of your masterpiece.