Resume/CV is a tool which speaks for you in your absence. It portrays you as a professional and as an individual.
First
impression is the best impression ; resume is your first entry into the
organisation and is a platform which should highlight every achievement
and relevant strength of yours.
Writing
an effective and creative resume that gets results can be a daunting
task. But if a few of the simple things are taken care of, your chances
of being shortlisted for the interview enhance significantly.
As
a prelude to a fruitful interview you should prepare a meaningful
resume. Here are some valuable tips which will make it stand out amongst
the many others. Resume has to have an optical appeal, it should be
presented in a structured format and properly present the contents.
Optical Appeal
The paper should be A4 size.
The printout should be in font 12 (Arial or Times New Roman.)
Printout should be taken on a Laser Printer.
The overall optical appeal should be presentable.
Format
Resume
should generally not exceed two pages. For Software professionals it
may exceed the limit to highlight team size, duration of project and
assignment contents.
Please note this is only an introduction to ensure an interview call and not your biography.
Avoid making tables in your resume as far as possible. Either write it in sentences or columns without a border.
Name must be the opening word of your resume. If the employer has to waste efforts to locate it, you have irritated him.
For
experienced professionals; resume should highlight work experience
followed by educational qualifications; simply because the company will
be interested in your work experience as compared to your educational
qualifications.
For
freshers; resume should focus on the educational qualifications, and
highlights therein, followed by summer training and academic projects.
Mention your academic and professional achievements separately towards the end.
Contents
Personal Details :
Specify date of birth and not age as on date.
State temporary address followed by permanent address.
To facilitate speedy connectivity write telephone numbers with STD codes, fax number and E mail id.
Mention best time to contact. In case of pp or c/o number write the name of the contact person.
List languages known; they play an important role in the selection process.
Avoid writing family details.
Educational Qualifications:
Bifurcate the qualifications into Educational and Professional along with specialisations.
Specify name of the degree, name of the university; year of passing for every qualification.
Marks obtained should be written if only particularly good.
Work Experience:
Should start with the present job, followed by others in reverse chronological order.
Name
of the organisation, its location, designations held, month and year of
joining and leaving must be specified for each employment.
Job
profile or responsibilities handled play a key role in the selection
process. List responsibilities point wise for quick comprehension.
Few sentences about the company profile and its product may be included.
Compensation:
Never
mention your compensation. This could be a limiting factor
unnecessarily. You can always talk it over at the personal interview or
may discuss with your consultant.
If you are sending the resume to a placement consultancy do write cost to company in a covering note.
You may add expected salary and location preferences too, confidentially.
Important Tips
Here
are a few of the tips that will be immensely beneficial for any
candidate, irrespective of the industry or organization to applying to.
These are some basic things that make a lasting impression.
Determine
your job search objective prior to writing the resume and structure the
content of your resume around that objective only. If you write your
resume without having a clear objective in mind, it will come across as
unfocused to those who read it.
You
don’t need to go into detail about every accomplishment. Strive to be
clear and concise. The purpose of your resume is to generate enough
interest in you to have an employer contact you for an interview.
The
language should be simple, the flow of language lucid and grammar
absolutely correct. The format must be chosen carefully and consistency
should be maintained through out. Use a font size no smaller than 10
point..
To
improve the presentation and comprehension, use bulleted sentences.
Resumes are read quickly ( a resume gets an attention of 30 sec. on an
average) this bulleted sentence format makes it easier for someone to
quickly scan your resume and still absorb it.
To add life to your resume use begin with action words like prepared, developed, monitored and presented.
Take
the time to determine which bullets most strongly support your job
search objective. Put those strong points first where they are more apt
to be read.
Use
the key words listed in the ad (Where the vacancy is advertised) and
match them with the contents in your resume highlight your suitability
for the job profile.
Use
some technical jargon, specific to your industry. If there are terms
that show your competence in a particular field use them in your resume.
Accent
the positive and leave of negatives and irrelevant points. Lead with
your strengths. Focus on the duties that support your objective.
Rather than going into depth in one area, use your resume to highlight your breadth of knowledge.
If
you have reported to someone important such as a vice president or
department manager, say so in your resume. Having reported to someone
important causes the reader to infer that you are important.
Limit the length of your resume to 1-2 pages. Help the reader to scan your resume efficiently and effectively.
Since
you are so close to your situation, it can be difficult for you to hit
all your high points and clearly convey all your accomplishments. Have
someone review your job search objective, your resume and listings of
positions that interest you.
Use
your resume to obtain an interview, not a job. Most prospective
employers decide whether or not they want to interview you after reading
the first few lines.
All the best………..
.jpg)