CE - Resume Template Challenge

@thebigk • Oct 25, 2024

Oct 25, 2024

1.5K

Hello CEans!

Most of us will agree that resume writing is an art. You have to enclose your life's achievements in those A4 sheets. Now believe me, a lot depends on how you present your life on your resume. A resume can tell a lot more about you - not just those semester marks, your GPA & your bronze medals in drawing competitions.

So, to cut it short, you gotta be knowing how to write good resumes. So here comes the discussion thread that builds knowledge on resume writing. Flood in your ideas, tips & tricks about building a great resume. You may even paste a template (your own creation, no copy-pasting from WWW 😁 is allowed).

In my opinion, a resume should be a one page document. Of course, no one likes to read a 4 page resume!. So the challenge for CEans is to build a world class resume template that fits into a single A4 page.

To give it a kick, let us start deciding on the sections, fonts, colors, pictures (? 😁 ? ) should be present on the resume template. Let's get started! Quick! 😀

-The Big K-

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rick

@rick-JybHX8 • May 23, 2006

finally!

finally! 😛

Here comes my take -

Font: Arial (Black) , Size: 10

Colors won't look good on resume. Although I'd put my email address in blue.

Name should be bolded.

The resume must end in a catchy line 😉 followed by your signature. I'll search for one of my old resume for the structure. However it was a 2 page resume 😁.

rick

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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • May 23, 2006

good start!

good going, rick 😉

'Verdana', 10 is my favorite. I doubt if 'blue' for email link looks good. I agree that the Name should appear in bold and your resume should be signed (if its a hard copy).

The most important thing is to accomodate the stuff in single page. How do you do it?

-The Big K-
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Jerry

@jerry-5wPKU7 • May 24, 2006

I am in

I'm in for this challenge ! 😎 Verdana or Arial doesn't make much difference. The big issue lies in putting stuff at right place. Here is my attempt at the template -
--------------------------------------------
Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .email:

Address: picture (optional)

Project Details/Work Experience:
1.
2. ( be as brief as possible)

References:

Signature.
--------------------------------------------
Let me know if this works for you. In fact, that's the template I used an year ago 😁

Jerry.
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • May 25, 2006

Good Start !

That's a fantastic start! Jerry & Rick.

Jerry, don't panic with the formatting. Extra spaces are removed automatically. Your template looks fine. Sometimes, you have to mention extracurricular activities too. Can we accomodate one more section?

In my resume, I had introduced two columns in the middle of the document. One for academic achievements ( 😁 ) and one for extracurricular activities, achievements in sports etc.

My resume was all black & white and I didn't use colors. I'm not sure if colors would add value to resume. Any ideas regarding this are welcome.

Are we missing out anything here? Flood in your comments!

We have a good start

-The Big K-
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • May 31, 2006

keep going

Although the responce to this thread is poor, I'll keep hoping that someone from Jupitor will come and revive this thread 😁 .

Let me explain the purpose behind starting this thread. Almost every week, I see people with their 3-4 page resumes wanting to hit the mark and get the job. Nothing irritates an interviewer than a poorly written resume and the stapled 'extra' pages do no good. On the other hand, think of a resume that is just one page and talks sense. Need I talk more?

So, here's our attempt to help all CEans have a perfect (well, at least we can try 😉 ) resume. Let us give it a try, say what?

-The Big K-
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crook

@crook-0PFkJv • May 31, 2006

count me in !

Count me in , big! I'm a little busy with a personal project. This is indeed an interesting thread.

Watch out!
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Neha

@neha-3vibjn • Jun 3, 2006

Nice thread

hi guys
well i am doing my B.Tech right now...so don't have enough matter to post in...but must say thread is really good especially for freshers like us...great going Biggie😁 ...Keep the spirit high!!
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Jun 3, 2006

thanks !

Well resume template challenge is open for everyone to participate. It would be great if engineers-in-development 😁 take part in this challenge.

Fresh graduates need to be very careful while writing a resume. Imagine a compact yet comprehensive resume being presented to an interviewer. Won't it create a good impression? 😉

So I'll encourage everyone to participate in this challenge. Its for us, after all 😀

-The Big K-
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sristi

@sristi-483Qff • Jun 4, 2006

its very helpful Biggie..but i have doubt reg the num of pages for resume is it compulsory to make all the stuff fit into 1 /2 pages (should we not include any exatra curricular activites apart from study related/sports stuff)
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Jun 4, 2006

Let me answer !

Hi Sristi !

Well, let me answer your query. Your extracurricular activities do make an impression and it makes sense to include them in your resume. But our challenge is to make best use of the space available on a single page to 'fit' everything.

It breaks my heart when I see 4 page resume with lot of space 'wasted'. Can we come up with a template which has space for academic achievements, extracurricular activities, projects(/work ex.), contact address etc. Now one may ask what's wrong if we use two pages. Well nothing wrong, but why not try to get it in a single page? I hope I'm making sense here 😁

So I hope, people join in for this challenge and come up with a template that is 1-page and cover-it-all type. Say what? Interesting?

-The Big K-
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Jun 4, 2006

Template#1

Hi CEans! I'm including a template which I had used - Your comments & feedback are welcome.

Note: Replace dots with spaces

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Name..............................................Ph:123456789
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Home address (continued in same line)...............email: #-Link-Snipped-#

Objective:

(column 1).................................................(column 2)
Academic Achievements.........................Extracurricular Activities
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Project Details/Work Experience
1.
2.

Closing Line (if any)

Signature
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I could fit everything in a single A4 size paper. Rush in your ideas please. 😀

-The Big K-

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rick

@rick-JybHX8 • Jun 5, 2006

loved it!

hey, good biggie! I liked that template. My only trouble is to fit the address in one line.

Nice use of space though. 😀
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sristi

@sristi-483Qff • Jun 5, 2006

good template biggie😀
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integratdbrains

@integratdbrains-8bmazm • Jun 12, 2006

here comes mine!

NAME (12)**********************A block of Address(n,12)
Email id********************************************
Mobile,Residence:************************************
Career Objective:
***************************************************
Educational Qualifications:(preferably a table wherein one get a good idea just at a glance!Remember to start with the latest qualification )
****************************************************
Work experience:
(same as above remember to start with the latest or current job)
*************************************************
Achievements:
Blow your trumpet!
**************************************************
Academic Project :
(freshers Essential)
**************************************************
Extra curricular:
Again a chance to blow your trumpet.
*************************************************
Personal details:
*********************************************
References:
**********************************************

************************************Signature

numbers indicate fontsize;n-normal.
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Jun 12, 2006

good job!

Namrata's template is good . 'References' is a must if applicable. Thanks for reminding 😉.

However, I've following questions-

1. What would one write under 'Personal Details' ? Is it necessary?
2. Achievements & Extracurricular activities can be clubbed?
3. Lot of space on the right hand side of the document will be wasted. I guess having two columns is a better idea. Let me know what you think.

-The Big K-
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crook

@crook-0PFkJv • Jun 13, 2006

integratdbrain's template is good and I agree with biggie's points. the best way is to combine template 1 and 2 to form a third template.

😀 this is interesting !
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integratdbrains

@integratdbrains-8bmazm • Jun 13, 2006

always cool!

Big k here is my view..
1.Personal details need not be big para it can include ur full name languages known ,DOB,etc etc.
2 Achivements are different from extra curricular activities.achivements can include accolades or prizes bagged.whereas extra curricular activities can include your participation in clutural programs or other activities in college.however one can club the two.
3.I think no space gets wasted as long as it gives a look of neat representation.a little black with lot of white is a perfect combo!And if one includes a table for the education qualification then it will look a bit wierd what do u think? and the first question at the interview can be did u have paper shortage?😉
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Jun 13, 2006

integratdbrains
1.Personal details need not be big para it can include ur full name languages known ,DOB,etc etc.
I agree. However, why would one include his/her full name in the penultimate section? Why repeat your name when it is already mentioned at the top? One can debate if 'languages known' should be a part of your resume. Why would your DOB be important to the interviewer?

integratdbrains
2 Achivements are different from extra curricular activities.achivements can include accolades or prizes bagged.whereas extra curricular activities can include your participation in clutural programs or other activities in college.however one can club the two.
Yes, I think clubbing the two will do.

integratdbrains
3.I think no space gets wasted as long as it gives a look of neat representation.a little black with lot of white is a perfect combo!And if one includes a table for the education qualification then it will look a bit wierd what do u think?
I guess we can do away with the idea of table. But I really love the idea of using two columns with bullets to separate your academic achievements. It shouldn't look weird, say what?

integratdbrains
and the first question at the interview can be did u have paper shortage?😉
Muwahahah 😁 If such a question comes your way, you got a huge opportunity to impress the interviewer! See it that way.
You can always say-
1. Sir/Madam, I took it as a challenge to fit my bio-data in one page without making it look clumsy.
2. Sir/Madam, although the paper is plenty, I think its ridiculous to use extra pages for something that needs only 1 paper.
... and think your own answer to make an impression ! 😁

-The Big K-
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integratdbrains

@integratdbrains-8bmazm • Jun 13, 2006

thats too quick!

ok ur talking about havin two columns under one title.. that will look even better.its not important to include dob but i think ur hobbies and all can get a space in this section.. big k cool it i haven't said that it has to be there,but guys and gals wiling to put their personal info can put it here.and ur smartness what can i say about that?? i have no doubts!how was the match last night!! cool... i loved it!😲
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Jun 13, 2006

😀 well, the wisdom comes from the experience. The interviewer ( looking at my one-page-resume) had asked "Where are the other pages?"

and I had answered "they were irrelevant, so I did not bring them with me" 😁

-The Big K-
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rick

@rick-JybHX8 • Jun 13, 2006

goodjob

and then he asked Big K to go out of the room 😁

nice posts here! integratdbrains template rocks! I think achievements and extracurricular activites can be clubbed. I did have my dob on resume but it never mattered to anyone 😀
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Sep 14, 2006

Dead thread!

Anyone for the challenge? 😎

We sure need more templates 😉

-The Big K-
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Prasad Ajinkya

@prasad-aSUfhP • Oct 19, 2006

Ok, have formatted my resume and over the 4 yrs of passing out of my engineering college, the resume has undergone a metamorphosis... now its a one-pager...

1. There is not career objective, I feel there is no need to put this in the resume, you are wasting space ... if you feel that your resume is empty, then you can go for this section, otherwise better to skip it.

2. Personal details, keep that to the minimum... I keep name, mobile, address.. thats it, and all those in the footer of the resume

3. Educational background - This is a tricky part, if u have got great acads then u can elaborate on this part slightly (not too many tables plz!!). my acads are far from great 😀 ... so I keep it crisp, fortunately i have a postgrad which looks good on paper, so more elaboration can be done on these parts. also, electives can be mentioned (i tailor my resume for every job interview, so the electives keep on changing 😀 ).

4. academic achievements (if any) - keep it short and crisp, and try to avoid trivial achievements from the resume. are they really relevant for this job. include projects done as a subheading, it can be a different section as well if you have done many noteworthy projects. if you have published any papers, then this is the place to put those in. articles in magazines, you can put, but its your call.

5. work experience (if any) - Keep It Short and Simple. No one is interested in knowing what code logic you did in what particular module, try to reduce the techno-jargon in this, but keep the keywords.. lead designer, client liason.. helps.

6. extra curricular achievements (very important) - this is where u make the cut or not. throw in as many things which show off a different facet of your personality in here. starting from appearing in singing competitions, to national level tennis, to being the IT secretary of an institute, whatever that has the "WOW" factor. put those in.

7. positions of responsibility - this one is optional, but if u have done some leadership or responsibility roles, put those in .. student council, lead developer, treasurer, those go here as well. I know it kinda overlaps with the extra currs... but if you have done my roles, then better to showcase them in a different section.

8. Hobbies and interests - now, try to keep away from music, reading, computer games, cricket, etc. its too common. put in something which is unique, guitar, website designing, something along those lines. also, put in your KRA (key result areas) ... some achievements that you have done in all these fields.

And as always, be prepared for questions on all these headings!!
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Prasad Ajinkya

@prasad-aSUfhP • Oct 19, 2006

Ok, have formatted my resume and over the 4 yrs of passing out of my engineering college, the resume has undergone a metamorphosis... now its a one-pager...

1. There is not career objective, I feel there is no need to put this in the resume, you are wasting space ... if you feel that your resume is empty, then you can go for this section, otherwise better to skip it.

2. Personal details, keep that to the minimum... I keep name, mobile, address.. thats it, and all those in the footer of the resume

3. Educational background - This is a tricky part, if u have got great acads then u can elaborate on this part slightly (not too many tables plz!!). my acads are far from great 😀 ... so I keep it crisp, fortunately i have a postgrad which looks good on paper, so more elaboration can be done on these parts. also, electives can be mentioned (i tailor my resume for every job interview, so the electives keep on changing 😀 ).

4. academic achievements (if any) - keep it short and crisp, and try to avoid trivial achievements from the resume. are they really relevant for this job. include projects done as a subheading, it can be a different section as well if you have done many noteworthy projects. if you have published any papers, then this is the place to put those in. articles in magazines, you can put, but its your call.

5. work experience (if any) - Keep It Short and Simple. No one is interested in knowing what code logic you did in what particular module, try to reduce the techno-jargon in this, but keep the keywords.. lead designer, client liason.. helps.

6. extra curricular achievements (very important) - this is where u make the cut or not. throw in as many things which show off a different facet of your personality in here. starting from appearing in singing competitions, to national level tennis, to being the IT secretary of an institute, whatever that has the "WOW" factor. put those in.

7. positions of responsibility - this one is optional, but if u have done some leadership or responsibility roles, put those in .. student council, lead developer, treasurer, those go here as well. I know it kinda overlaps with the extra currs... but if you have done my roles, then better to showcase them in a different section.

8. Hobbies and interests - now, try to keep away from music, reading, computer games, cricket, etc. its too common. put in something which is unique, guitar, website designing, something along those lines. also, put in your KRA (key result areas) ... some achievements that you have done in all these fields.

And as always, be prepared for questions on all these headings!! 😁
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jayaprakash

@jayaprakash-N3Cmsl • Oct 20, 2006

Thanks Integratdbrains,
The format of resume which you shown for us is simply superb and i decided to follow it because i am fresher it is very useful for me .

My suggestion for resume format: Font - Times new roman will be good
- Areas of interest should be included
- colors should be avoided
- Personal details should be avoided
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jayaprakash

@jayaprakash-N3Cmsl • Oct 20, 2006

Thanks Integratdbrains,

The format of resume which you shown for us is simply superb and I decided to follow it because i am fresher it is very useful for me .

My suggestion for resume format:

- Times new roman font will be good
- Areas of interest should be included
- colors should be avoided
- Personal details should be avoided
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instruite

@instruite-3JCI35 • Oct 22, 2006

Have not gone through all the replies in the post but after reading first few posts

Font - most widely used is "Times New Roman"
problem - verdana (my fav) but in certain softwares/OS it may not be present by default, Arial - problem with japanese OS, some times it becomes Arial Black and bold of Arial black looks bad

and One Page biodata may create a negative impression, the employer might think that person doesnt have write any thing to write. Its based on my personal experience
during my campus interview our college resume format had one page format in which the things I wanted to write never sufficied and neither it had a place for photo
So I normally used to write my resume in my own format.
When I went for interview and presented my resume, the reaction from employer was 'Ah, I was looking for resume something like this' 😀

I have to go now, Will write more later...
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