Ten ways to smarten your resume
The first impression that a prospective employer will form of you is through your CV. Here are some tips to help you stand out:
1) What's in a name?The e-mail ID that appealed to you as a cocky 15-year-old is going to elicit just one reaction from prospective employers, guffaws. So, before you write a resume, get a respectable ID, preferably one that simply spells out your name. Also, stick to one contact number and don't bother tacking on a fax number.
2) Don't blind your employer:Always stick to one font and keep only key words in bold. Opt for a summary if you have been working for more than 10 years. "A recruiter's attention span is 10-20 seconds, so you have to ensure that you grab it with a good beginning," says Vivek Madhukar, senior vice-president, TimesJobs.com.
3) Avoid the 'I' syndrome:You may be the centre of your universe but the organisation won't be inclined to think so. Don't focus on what you want. The idea is to give a quick snapshot of what you can bring to the company. Use the job description to frame this as it will help you understand what the company wants from you and the key skills that are required.
4) Emphasise recent experiences:You may be proud of every post you ever held, trainee upwards but the employer is only interested in the one you held last. Downplay earlier experiences, especially those more than 10 years ago. Also, if you worked for a small company, mention what it did. Avoid shorter stints.
5) Avoid too many details:If there is a period in your work experience that you do not want to mention (if you were laid off), leave it out. However, if it is longer than a year, the gap will be obvious, so you may need to state what you were doing. If you were involved in an entrepreneurial activity, it could even be a point in your favour. "Even if a person has failed at a venture, I will hire him. He would have learnt from his mistakes, and will, hopefully, not repeat them," says Sanjeev Parida, VP, HR, Tech Mahindra.
6) Get rid of the humdrum:Do you really want to highlight skills that even a teenager will scoff at? Avoid jotting down commonplace abilities. Mention these only if they are relevant to your field, such as statistical modelling if you are applying to a financial firm. The same goes for other achievements that are redundant to the job, such as a course in personality development. Hobbies is another section that can be safely dropped, unless you have an outstanding one. "One extra-curricular activity that interests employers is involvement in social work as most companies have begun focusing on corporate social responsibility," says Parida.
7) Turn flaws into virtues:You need to choose your words carefully, especially if you want to intrigue the prospective employer. The choice of words will also depend on the post you are applying for. "Risk-taking can be a great virtue in an entrepreneurial venture but a disaster for a financial services firm," says Madhukar. You should be able to substantiate the qualities you mention. "If you say you are great at problem solving, mention an incident where your skill has helped, otherwise it will be another trite claim," says Payal Dhar, head, resume development, Naukri.com
8) Throw out cliches:Recruiters have been there, heard that. Unfortunately, candidates still cling to oft-repeated phrase, 'I give my 110%', 'I'm passionate about my job', or 'I like to work in a competitive environment.' "It's exhausting to read another 'good communication skills'. It takes up valuable space on your resume. This can be better used to highlight a specific talent," says Madhukar.
9) Leave the years behind:If you've managed to get a graduate and postgraduate degree, you must have completed your schooling. Pointing it out is a waste of space. Ditto for the month and years in which you completed various courses and the percentages/ grades you scored. "If you're a senior manager with 10-15 years of experience, the years you graduated in are irrelevant. They should only be mentioned if you have worked for less than 4-5 years," says Dhar.
10) The long and short of it:Don't cram your resume in a single page but a two-page CV is acceptable only if there is enough to write. Rambling is a sure way of getting it atop the pile of rejects. The thumb rule: if you have less than five years of experience, opt for a single page; go for two pages if it's longer. "If you want to showcase essential achievements and projects, attach an annexure and refer to it in the resume," says experts
Source:Placement Ready - Recruitment, Assessment and 24*7 video based Training
1) What's in a name?The e-mail ID that appealed to you as a cocky 15-year-old is going to elicit just one reaction from prospective employers, guffaws. So, before you write a resume, get a respectable ID, preferably one that simply spells out your name. Also, stick to one contact number and don't bother tacking on a fax number.
2) Don't blind your employer:Always stick to one font and keep only key words in bold. Opt for a summary if you have been working for more than 10 years. "A recruiter's attention span is 10-20 seconds, so you have to ensure that you grab it with a good beginning," says Vivek Madhukar, senior vice-president, TimesJobs.com.
3) Avoid the 'I' syndrome:You may be the centre of your universe but the organisation won't be inclined to think so. Don't focus on what you want. The idea is to give a quick snapshot of what you can bring to the company. Use the job description to frame this as it will help you understand what the company wants from you and the key skills that are required.
4) Emphasise recent experiences:You may be proud of every post you ever held, trainee upwards but the employer is only interested in the one you held last. Downplay earlier experiences, especially those more than 10 years ago. Also, if you worked for a small company, mention what it did. Avoid shorter stints.
5) Avoid too many details:If there is a period in your work experience that you do not want to mention (if you were laid off), leave it out. However, if it is longer than a year, the gap will be obvious, so you may need to state what you were doing. If you were involved in an entrepreneurial activity, it could even be a point in your favour. "Even if a person has failed at a venture, I will hire him. He would have learnt from his mistakes, and will, hopefully, not repeat them," says Sanjeev Parida, VP, HR, Tech Mahindra.
6) Get rid of the humdrum:Do you really want to highlight skills that even a teenager will scoff at? Avoid jotting down commonplace abilities. Mention these only if they are relevant to your field, such as statistical modelling if you are applying to a financial firm. The same goes for other achievements that are redundant to the job, such as a course in personality development. Hobbies is another section that can be safely dropped, unless you have an outstanding one. "One extra-curricular activity that interests employers is involvement in social work as most companies have begun focusing on corporate social responsibility," says Parida.
7) Turn flaws into virtues:You need to choose your words carefully, especially if you want to intrigue the prospective employer. The choice of words will also depend on the post you are applying for. "Risk-taking can be a great virtue in an entrepreneurial venture but a disaster for a financial services firm," says Madhukar. You should be able to substantiate the qualities you mention. "If you say you are great at problem solving, mention an incident where your skill has helped, otherwise it will be another trite claim," says Payal Dhar, head, resume development, Naukri.com
8) Throw out cliches:Recruiters have been there, heard that. Unfortunately, candidates still cling to oft-repeated phrase, 'I give my 110%', 'I'm passionate about my job', or 'I like to work in a competitive environment.' "It's exhausting to read another 'good communication skills'. It takes up valuable space on your resume. This can be better used to highlight a specific talent," says Madhukar.
9) Leave the years behind:If you've managed to get a graduate and postgraduate degree, you must have completed your schooling. Pointing it out is a waste of space. Ditto for the month and years in which you completed various courses and the percentages/ grades you scored. "If you're a senior manager with 10-15 years of experience, the years you graduated in are irrelevant. They should only be mentioned if you have worked for less than 4-5 years," says Dhar.
10) The long and short of it:Don't cram your resume in a single page but a two-page CV is acceptable only if there is enough to write. Rambling is a sure way of getting it atop the pile of rejects. The thumb rule: if you have less than five years of experience, opt for a single page; go for two pages if it's longer. "If you want to showcase essential achievements and projects, attach an annexure and refer to it in the resume," says experts
Source:Placement Ready - Recruitment, Assessment and 24*7 video based Training
Replies
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Alan cruiserA nice collection of tips in your blog.I am a resume expert and feel that you are excellent with your tips in resume preparation.If any person has experience then it is preferred to choose chronological resume format.It is always advised to put your achievements in your resume but it doesn't mean to blow your own trumpet.Try to follow the truth in your resume. -
Kaustubh Katdare
Alan, do you have sample resume templates which graduating engineers can use? We might just start a new discussion to deal with the common problems engineering graduates face while preparing their resume.Alan cruiserA nice collection of tips in your blog.I am a resume expert and feel that you are excellent with your tips in resume preparation.If any person has experience then it is preferred to choose chronological resume format.It is always advised to put your achievements in your resume but it doesn't mean to blow your own trumpet.Try to follow the truth in your resume. -
Alan cruiserYou can find free blank resume templates and samples on #-Link-Snipped-#
Hope it will serve your purpose. -
Keerthivasan RavisankarThat might help all the job seekers..😘 😁
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born_star16Ya, a sample resume needed here. Points mentioned by Reya seems very true but still if anyone can give an example then many of the CEans can get help.
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K!r@nS!nguthanks
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