Build Best Resume: Will a salad appeals to you if just chopped and kept, or is it the dressing and the way it is presented that makes the dish look more appealing? The analogy and the answer are apt when it comes to discussing a resume as well. You do not have to mourn if you’ve not yet got a single interview call. All you need to do is update your resume in a manner that will appeal to your prospective employers.
To sell any product, you need to advertise it well. Think of yourselves as a product when it comes to job hunting; a resume is like an advertisement that presents you in the best light. It is a window to your personality and your achievements.
The primary purpose of a resume is to convince a prospective recruiter/employer that you deserve to be called for an interview. It should be enticing, convincing and must project your capability to be successful. It should be so tantalizing that the employer should pick up the phone and dial your number.
The perfect resume must be an ideal blend of both contents as well as format. Apart from the format that is eye-catching and professional to look at, the content of the resume is vital. A resume should be informative yet focused. It must stand apart. It is selling a product. It should focus on the employer’s committee needs and ‘sell yourself better than your counterparts.
Moreover, a resume should be concise, using bullet point phrases. Do not experiment because before you walk into the cabin, your CV is there in advance. Follow the standard, reverse-chronological order format. A perfect resume must be a maximum of two pages long.
Here you will learn how to create a professional resume. So, read up.
The Six Dimensions
A resume should reflect the six dimensions – innovation, maturity, leadership, teamwork, adaptability, and multitasking skills. Progression in responsibility and achievements should be highlighted. Emphasize the relevant experience by focusing on actions and the results achieved. Provide actual figures to prove how efforts have translated into success. In all, one may say, “A resume should be crisp and effective.” And the pointers, which will help you in doing so, are: –
Introduction
The introduction should include the following details: – Personal details such as name, address, contact numbers, and e-mail address should be at the top, in bold type. Do not put in the photograph unless asked.
Title
There are heaps and heaps of resumes flooded at offices, then why should your prospective recruiter pick your resume out of that ocean of resumes, is the question. If your resume carries a title saying, “I can do it all,” or something like, “Enthusiastic man looks for a job,” it will indeed be dumped in the heap of ‘not required.’ You need to have a classically robust and descriptive title, which will help you stand out. “Make the title useful,” Something like, “A management graduate from Oxford,” or “Acquisition Head at ICICI Bank,” would work wonders.
It is not vital to have something big only to mention. You can choose a title that you feel best describes you, which will benefit you. Writing a resume is like exercising: You may not look forward to it, but you feel better once it’s done. And, like the results of a good workout, a well-presented resume can help you keep your career in shape. But when writing a resume, what works, and what doesn’t? We help you find out.
Objective
The objective says it all. Companies get hundreds of resume monthly. More than 50 percent are rejected since the applicant has no precise aim in seeking employment with my organization. Companies look for candidates who would have some relevance with our requirement, which gets clear at first glance at the objective. The objective must be written and relevant to the position you are applying for.
Feel Good Factor
“Before your prospective employers even take one glance at your resume, there is something they do first, and that is, feel it.” So use good paper for your resume.
Headers
Now is the time to go beyond formatting and talk about what you’ve done so far; let’s talk business. Keep the following order in mind while making The Perfect Resume, and take yourself to the path of glory awaiting you.
Experience: List your job details in reverse chronological order. Include your detailed responsibilities, designation, and duration. You need not provide too much detail about your jobs early in your career; focus on the most recent and relevant jobs.
Summarize a number of the earliest jobs in one line or a concise paragraph, or list only the bare facts, with no position description. After all, your employer does not want to know from where you started; he wants to see where you’ve ended. Describe your achievements more than your duties. Decide which is more impressive – your job title or the names of the companies you’ve worked for.
Education
List education in reverse chronological order, degrees first, followed by certificates and advanced training. Set degrees apart so they are easily seen. Don’t include any details about the college, except your distinction or awards, unless you are still in college or have graduated recently.
If you are working on an uncompleted degree, include the degree and afterward in parentheses ({}), the expected date of completion. If you are still in college, start with a phrase describing the field being studied, then the school, and then the dates. If you have received any awards at the school level, then they need to be listed here.
Awards
If you have received commendations or praise from some very senior source, you need to make your prospective employee know about it. It would be best if you used bullets here. It makes it easier for employers to scan your resume. Use them when you can, especially when you are highlighting skills or accomplishments.
Technical Know-How
None of us may disagree that today, there is no world without computers. It is essential for you, how much ever brainy you may be, to know the know-how of computers. Here, you can highlight your computer proficiency, that is, soft skills, programming language, tools, database, applications, operating systems, etc.
Extra-curricular
Use bullets here again. Include all the relevant extra-curricular activities you were/are involved in.
Check & Recheck
Be very sure about the grammar and the spellings used. A very small miss might cost you, maybe, a few more rejections. Many of us feel that we have done a perfect job by following the do’s and don’ts of writing a fabulous resume, but we often forget to check and recheck, as a result of which, there are minor yet, shocking mistakes that we happen to overlook. Many resumes and cover letters that an HR department receives from people are plagued with misspelled words, grammatical errors.
This is basically because little or no time is spent proofreading prior to sending. And for people like these, there is just one place where their resume reaches, ‘the recycle bin.’ So, the next time you answer a rejection call, don’t lose heart, for the time is not far when you would be there, sitting at the top rejecting the unworthy. Tips to be kept in Mind Use white space liberally. Stick with Two Fonts at the most. Use Bold and Italics sparingly; avoid Underlining. Be consistent. Use bullets to focus on competencies and accomplishments.
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