Important Resume Preparation Tips

Your resume is the first interface you have with your employer:

Your resume is the first interface you have with your employer. Make the most of this opportunity…………. The employment market is changing all the time and so have resumes, evolving from a one-size-fits-all standard. Here are our tips to convert your resume into a catching one.

Follow These Basic Standards….

• Don’t overcrowd your resume; allow for plenty of white space.

• Keep your resume to one page whenever possible.

• Keep the number of fonts you use to a minimum — two at the most.

• Use a font that is easy to read. Times Roman works well.

• Do not justify the lines of type on your resume. Allow the right side of the page to “rag.”

• Do not overuse capitalization, italics, underlines, or other emphasizing features.

• Make sure your name, address, and a phone number appear on your resume and all correspondence, preferably at the top of the page.

• Print your resume on white or cream paper using a good-quality printer.

• Second- and third-generation photocopies must be avoided

• Print on one side of the paper only.

Avoid Mistakes:

Spelling Mistakes:

To avoid spelling mistakes:

• Don’t use words with which you aren’t familiar.

• Use a dictionary as you write.

• Perform a spell check on your finished resume.

• Carefully read every word in your resume.

• Have a friend or two proof read your resume for you.

Punctuation Mistakes:

Things to look for:

• Periods at the end of all full sentences.

• Be consistent in your use of punctuation.

• Always put periods and commas within quotation marks.

• Avoid using exclamation points.

Grammatical Mistakes:

Grammar hang-ups to watch for:

• Do not switch tenses within your resume.

• The duties you currently perform should be in present tense (i.e., write reports)

• Duties you may have performed at past jobs should be in past tense (i.e., wrote reports).

• Capitalize all proper nouns.

• When expressing numbers, write out all numbers between one and nine (i.e., one, five, seven), but

• use numerals for all numbers 10 and above (i.e., 10, 25, 108).

• If you begin a sentence with a numeral, spell out that numeral (e.g. Eleven service awards won while employed.).

• Make sure your date formats are consistent (i.e.11/22/01 or Nov. 22, 2001, or 11.22.01. Choose one and stick with it.).

• Choose Your Words Carefully:

• Phrase yourself well:

• Be on the lookout for the following easily confused words:

• accept (to receive), except (to exclude)

• all right (correct), alright (this is not a word)

• affect (to bring about change), effect (result)

• personal (private), personnel (staff members)

• role (a character assigned or a function), roll (to revolve).

• Use action words (i.e., wrote reports, increased revenues, directed staff).

References:

In most instances it is not necessary to include names and address of references on the resume. If you include a reference, make it sure that the referenced person knows very well about you. It is also advisable to add the persons as references, whom the employer can contact easily. If possible add the phone number and e-mail ID of the reference. Never add a person as a reference, about whom you know nothing

STICK TO THE POINT

Employers have a busy schedule, so don’t expect them to read through a long resume. Ideally, resumes should be of one page, or of two pages only if absolutely necessary, to describe relevant work experience.

WORDS COUNT

Use of language is extremely important; you need to sell yourself to an employer quickly and efficiently. Address your potential employer’s needs with a clearly written, compelling resume. Avoid large paragraphs (five or six lines). If you provide small, digestible pieces of information, your resume will be read. Use action verbs. Verbs such as “developed”, “managed”, and “designed” emphasise your accomplishments. Don’t use declarative sentences like “I developed the …” or “I assisted in …”, leave out the “I”. Avoid passive constructions, such as “was responsible for managing”. Just say, “managed”: that sounds stronger and more active.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR EXPERIENCE

Employers need to know what you have accomplished to have an idea of what you can do for them. Don’t be vague. Telling someone that you “improved the company’s efficiency” doesn’t say much. But if you say that you “cut overhead costs by 20 per cent and saved the company Rs 20 lakh during the last fiscal year”, you are more specific.

HONESTY IS A GOOD POLICY

Employers will feel more comfortable hiring you if they can verify your accomplishments. There is a difference between making the most of your experience and exaggerating or falsifying it. A falsified resume can cost you the job later.

DOUBLE-CHECK FOR MISTAKES

Check your resume for correct grammar and spelling – evidence of good communication skills and attention to detail. Nothing can ruin your chances of getting a job faster than submitting a resume filled with preventable mistakes. Make your resume easy on the eye. Use normal margins (1″ on the top and bottom, 1.25″ on the sides) and don’t cram your text on the page. Allow for some space between the different sections. Avoid unusual or exotic fonts. Preferred fonts: Arial and Times Roman

 

Resume Writing Tips for Freshers & Experienced

OUTSIDE RESUME

Resume Format

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Always have a .doc (Microsoft Word) format and .txt format of your resume with you. When you are filling your resume in websites, you need the text format and when you are sending resume through mail, it’s better to send the .doc format.
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Few companies may ask specifically for .rtf format. In such case, you don’t have an option anyway.

Resume Size

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Try to see to it that the .doc resume file size is less than 100 KB.

Resume File Name

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Don’t give some junk names as file name for the resume. If you keep use junk names, there is every possibility that your mail will travel to bulk/trash folder of recruiter. Your resume’s file name should ideally denote your name, experience, technology, years of experience and company name. Keep some valid name for your resume.
Example: Resume_Placement_J2EE_3 Years_INFOSYS.doc
Example: Resume_Placement_FRESHER_B Tech_Computers.doc

Exclusive Mail IDs

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Use only one (or maximum of 2) mail Ids exclusively for the purpose of recruitments. Do NOT use those mail Ids for any other purpose (Especially you should not use it for subscribing to any GROUP mails or FORWARD mails).

Standard Mail Service Providers

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You must be careful about the service providers in which you open a mail account. Don’t use the mail Ids/accounts from non-standard service providers. If they disconnect services suddenly, your mail ID fails and you need to resend resumes with new mail Id to all the companies you have already applied. So, always try to create mail Ids with standard service providers like Yahoo, Rediff, Google etc.
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Choose both mail Ids from different mail service providers. In case, if one service provider experiences technical problems, you can use the other service provider.

Mail Space

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Always see to it that at least 50 % of your mailbox size is free. Delete unnecessary mails periodically.

Send from same mail ID

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While sending the resume, preferably send it from the mail ID you have mentioned in your resume.

Always keep a copy

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While sending the resume, always keep a CC/BCC to your mail ID (or at least keep your sent items ON) so that you will know whether the resume is attached properly and/or whether it’s traveling to bulk mail folder.

Subject Line

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If the company mentions that a specific ‘Job Code’ has to be written in Subject Line, write that. If nothing specific, then give a proper subject line for your mail.
Example: Resume – J2EE – 3 Years Experience – INFOSYS – Bangalore

Covering Letter

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Always try to include a “short” covering letter just containing your experience, current location, contact details (address & phone number) current company name, technology you are working in. Don’t write too long covering letters. No HR will spend time on reading your long letters.

Short is Sweet

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Don’t make the resume too long. Keep it short & sweet. It should be less than 3 pages (and up to a maximum of 4). The HR will hardly have 1 minute to glance at your resume. He won’t have the time to read story-like resume. So, be precise, clear and straight to the point.
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Better use bullets for mentioning important points.

Check BULK mail folder

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Check the BULK mail folder before blindly emptying it. I have seen people who lost call letters because of it.

INSIDE RESUME

Header & Footer !

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Always have a header & footer in your resume.
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Header can contain a simple heading of your resume.
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Footer should preferably contain the page number.

First Page is the best page to convey all about you !

Typically the HR expects all the important details in the first page. He receives hundreds of resumes and hardly gets 1 minute to look at your resume and so he won’t bother to search your resume for the required details, if the details are not found in his first glance at your resume.

The first page of resume must contain the following things:

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Personal Details : Full Name, Date of Birth, Passport Number.
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Current Contact Details : Full Contact Address, Contact Phone Numbers, Mail ID & Alternate Mail ID.
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Work Experience Summary : All the companies you have worked so far, Company Address, Website, Dates of Duration in each Company. Don’t assume that everyone knows about your company. (You can highlight if your current company has any good quality levels like CMM/CMMI)
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Job Responsibilities : Your job profile in your past companies. For example, you should highlight that you are working as ‘Module Leader leading a team of 6 people’ in your current company.
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Skill Set Summary : Highlight all the technologies you know well. Don’t include any technologies you have not worked on.
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Certifications : Include any relevant certifications you have. That gives you an edge over others.
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Education Details Summary : Your Post Graduation, Graduation, Intermediate, 10 th details, Aggregate Percentage, Year of Pass out (Most important).

Contact Details at the top, not at bottom !

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Contact Details should be at the top of resume, not at the bottom.
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Never include the contact details in Header or Footer. They won’t be visible properly.

Always provide an alternate mail ID !

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Always provide an ‘Alternate Mail Id’ also (in case your original mail Id fails, it will be useful).
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Do NOT give more than 2 mail Ids in resume. The recruiters as well as you will get confused which mail Id to send/receive call letters.

No one can save you if your Mail ID fails !

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Check the mail Ids you provided in CV by sending a trial mail. (I have seen people giving Yahoo.com instead of Yahoo.co.in. If the mail Id fails when HR sends you call letter, no one can save you in this world. No HR will resend the call letter if your mail ID fails.)

Never use official mail ID ! (for Experienced people)

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NEVER use OFFICIAL MAIL ID or OFFICIAL PHONE NUMBER in the resume. You must always provide the Personal mail Id & Personal Phone/Mobile Number. You can give the OFFICIAL MAIL ID for reference at the end the resume.

Spell Check !

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Always perform a spell check and grammar check on the resume. You don’t deserve a job if you can’t write your resume without mistakes.
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There is nothing wrong in getting your resume reviewed by someone else. They might catch the mistakes that your eyes can never detect.

Educational details are important !

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People (especially experienced people) think that they don’t need to give the educational details. But they are important. If not all details, at least give the highest qualification, college/university name and aggregate percentage. (Some HR people simply delete the resumes without educational details.)

Reverse Chronological order !

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Your latest job profile is more important than your first one. So, always write the details in reverse chronological order (start with the latest) especially when you are listing previous company details or educational qualification details.

Avoid Irrelevant Details !

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Write straight to the point and only the details relevant to the job. (You don’t need to include your family tree or how many children you have or what your wife does.)
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Do not write stereotype sentences like ‘I am sincere, intelligent, hardworking’ etc. That’s childish. Who in this world is not hardworking by the way?

Use simple Language !

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Use simple English. You don’t need to write complex jargon in the resume.

Write the Crux of Projects !
Don’t write all about your projects. That will make the resume very lengthy. Write only the crux of the information. Following details would be enough.

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Project Name, Team Size, Client Name, Duration of Project.
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Short description of project (Not more than 5 to 6 lines).
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Your role in project (This is very important).
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Technologies used in project.

You should convey where you want to work !
Always include the following clearly in resume:

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‘Current Location’ (mandatory). I have seen resumes in which there is no clue of where they are working currently. How can they expect a call letter ?
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‘Desired Location’ (if you have a preference). Anyway freshers typically will not have a choice for the desired location. They better not to include it.

Experience !

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Project Training done in your final academic year does not come under professional work experience. You can mention it, but not under ‘Work Experience’ section.
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Always highlight your onsite (customer interaction experience) in your resume. That gives you an edge over others.

Salary Details

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Better not to include current & expected compensation details in resume. You can convey them when you are asked to provide them during interview.

You are not submitting the application for matrimonial !

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Do not include any photos in the resume unless specifically asked by the company.

You are not writing a love letter !

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Avoid unwanted graphics: Either in resume or the covering letter, avoid jazzy graphic images, emoticons or multiple colors.
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Avoid jazzy fonts: Preferably use some professional font (Arial or Times or Verdana) and use the same across. Use same font size across the resume (except for headings). Don’t write each line in a different font and size.
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However, you can use some decent shades (preferably gray color), to highlight important information. That makes the resume to look good when a printout is taken.

Take a print and see !

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Take a printout of your resume and see. If you do not like it in the first look, the same will be with recruiters. (I know HR people who called candidates based on attractive resume.) So, revise it again

Covering letter do’s and dont’s

The covering letter that accompanies your CV is, in many cases, your first point of contact with a potential employer. It is therefore very important to get it right!

Your letter should have three clear sections:
Opening Paragraph
Set the scene; introduce yourself and state your reason for writing. Mention where you saw the job advertised.
Main Paragraph(s)
Match your skills and achievements to the job description using similar words and style. Give them a reason to see you!
Final Paragraph
Conclude your letter courteously. Specify that your are enclosing your CV and that you would welcome the opportunity for an interview.

Do

Use short, clear sentences and keep to the point
Take care with grammar and punctuation and make proper use of paragraphs.
Consider using bullet points.
Find out the name and job title of the right person to send the letter to.
Use the correct salutation – Dear Mr Smith with yours sincerely and Dear sir/madam with yours faithfully
Use good quality A4 paper in either white or cream
Check and check again for mistakes in your letter
Send your letter unfolded in a large envelope and use a first class stamp

Don’t

Use generic letters. Make sure that your covering letter is tailored to each job you apply for
Hand write your letter
Use more than one sheet of A4
Forget to check that you have included everything before posting

Resume Mistakes: Do not let this happen

—by Carla Vaughan

You want to get a great job, right? You know you need a resume to get your foot in the door, yes? Doesn’t it make sense to present your credentials in the most amazing way possible so that the employer can’t help but call you for an interview? That would seem to make sense, and yet, resumes end up on the desks of human resources personnel every day that are distinctive in their LACK OF ATTENTION TO DETAIL.

If you want your resume to be distinctive in its professional appearance, make sure you pay attention to the list below.

Everything on this list is common sense. So, why do so many people make these resume mistakes every day? One reason is that some job candidates have no idea how to create a professional document, nor are they willing to take the time to learn. Along the same lines, many people are simply lazy. They do not want to spend the time to compose attention-getting, easy-to-read copy, much less proofread their material once it is written. Employers have no time to waste on people who are unwilling to make the effort to ensure their resume is free of errors. Those are not the kind of people they are looking to hire.

Take the time to create a professional document that stands out because it is exactly what employers are looking for and you will be far ahead of your competitors for the position you want.

Are you ready?

Here, in no particular order, are the most-cited reasons that resumes end up in the reject pile without being given more than a cursory glance.

Typos.
Proofread your material. Proofread it again. Spell check it. Have your neighbors, friends, family and anyone else you can find to review your resume for you. Ask them to look for typos and grammar errors. Have them read it for “tense consistency” (make sure everything is presented in the same tense).

Font Faults.

Do not use small fonts. Do not use too many different fonts. An employer is going to scan your resume, not fully read it. If the type is hard to read or is difficult to follow, no one is going to spend any time on it at all. Keep the type at least at a 10 point and use one font. Make it easy on the person who is going to be reading it.

Buried Skills.

If your resume highlights job duties but omits the actual skills you have mastered or the accomplishments you have made, the person who reads it ? ahem?scans it – will no not recognize your special talents and abilities. Make sure you focus your attention on what you have to offer as opposed to what your responsibilities were in your past jobs. Whenever possible, quantify your statements with numbers. Instead of saying you helped the distribution center organize its processes, state “HOW” you helped them do this. Be specific and use numbers whenever possible. Vague assertions have no value.

Format focus vs Content focus.

Do not get so wrapped up in the way the resume is supposed to LOOK that you forget to respond to what it is supposed to SAY. You can use the fanciest font in a creative new format, but if you do not concentrate your efforts on the words you use, the employer will not care how the resume looks. You don’t get an interview based on a cute resume. You get an interview based on whether or not the employer believes you can do the job well.

Wordy, Verbose, Lengthy, Effusive, Protracted, Loquacious, Rambling, Long-Winded?

Make your statements clear and concise.

Incorrect Information

Proofreading is not just for the body of the resume, it is also for your heading, your objective statement and so on. Proofread everything. Are your dates accurate? Look for continuity throughout the text. Does everything flow nicely. Read your resume aloud and listen for statements that don’t roll off the tongue easily. It might be a clue that something should be revised.

Cheap or Colored Paper.

You can have the most amazing resume ever, but if you print it on lavender paper hoping it will get noticed, you will waste a lot of pretty paper that could be better used for writing your aunt or grandmother. The colors you should use for your paper are: White, off-white, off-off-white. Do you see a trend? Also, spend a few extra dollars and buy GOOD, QUALITY paper. Forget the floppy, wimpy copy paper. Get some 24 lb paper with a watermark. It will make a much better impression ? and that is what this whole process is all about, right?

If you want to get an interview, you’re going to have to present yourself as a professional with a strong attention to detail and willing to go the extra mile to ensure success.

Doesn’t it make sense to present your credentials in the most amazing way possible so that the employer can’t help but call you for an interview?

Resume Writing Tips

Tip 1 – Use Titles or Headings That Match The Jobs You Want

With employers receiving hundreds of resumes you must make sure that your resume hooks an employer’s attention within a 5-second glance. A great way to do this is to use job titles and skill headings that relate to and match the jobs you want. For example, compare the headings Roger used in his before resume to the headings used in his after resume.
Before Resume:
Accounting / Recordkeeping
Administrative
Computer Skills After Resume:
Management of A/R and A/P Accounts
Computerized Accounting Applications
Departmental Administration / Recordkeeping
Which set of headings are the strongest for an Accounts Payable / Receivable Manager position?

Even though Roger’s title was Accounting Assistant, he actually managed over 1,000 A/R and A/P accounts. Using skill headings that market the true nature of Roger’s job duties will generate him more interviews and higher salary offers.

Tip 2 – Use Design That Grabs Attention

Employers make snap judgments when glancing at your resume. If they see unrelated job titles or skills the likelihood is very high that they will make an immediate assumption that you are not qualified for the job you want. Adding to this problem is the fact that employers don’t have the time to read through each of your job descriptions to determine if you have the skills they need.

You Must Do That For Them! The design of your resume must highlight the most important information about your work experience, skills and education. At first glance this information forms the image that employers have of your skills and abilities.

Tip 3 – Create Content That Sells

Resume design should get attention but it’s really the content of your resume, the descriptions you include of your skills and abilities, that determine how many interviews you generate–as well as the level of salary offers you receive. Compare the before and after statements from Roger’s resume shown below:
Before Resume:
Maintained records for accounts receivable and accounts payable accounts.

After Resume:
Managed over 1,000 accounts receivable and payable accounts working directly with the Chief Financial Officer.

Which of these examples presents Roger as being more qualified, having higher skills and worth a higher salary? As this example illustrates, our image of Roger is changed and elevated when we read the after example.

Tip 4 – Quantify and Use Power Words

As Roger’s after statement demonstrates, using numbers to describe your achievements and responsibilities can greatly expand and elevate your image. Using numbers and quantifying creates vivid images in our mind when we read them, whereas general statements like the before examples are easy to skip over or forget. Typically the more specific you can be in describing your duties the better.

Another strategy that is extremely important in controlling the image that employers develop about you–is to use Power Words or verbs that match the level of position you want. For example, Roger wants to use the experience he’s gained to move into a management position. To strengthen his image he should use as many “management oriented” words as possible. Which example below do you think is the strongest?

Typical Verbs:
Gave work assignments to staff of entry level accounting clerks.

Power Words:
Directed workflow, supervised and trained accounting staff performing posting to general ledger, accounts receivable and payable accounts.

Tip 5 – Analyze Ads and Job Descriptions to Identify Key Words

Learning how to analyze the key words that employers provide in help wanted ads and job descriptions is a key element in creating powerful resumes. For example, read the ad Roger found for an Accounts Receivable Manager below and see how many key words, phrases, or skill descriptions that it includes.

Accounts Receivable Manager
Seeking experienced A/R Manager to oversee accounts, manage billing and collections, train accounting and clerical staff, develop status reports for management and prepare monthly balance sheets. B.A. Degree or A.A. Degree with minimum of 2 years experience required.

Even though this ad is small it contains 12-13 key words or phrases that should be addressed in Roger’s resume. Roger can also key words from an ad like this to create headings for his resume such as:

Key Word Skill Headings

Management of A/R Accounts
Billing and Collections
Supervision of Accounting and Administrative Staff
Balance Sheet and Management Status Reports

Tip 6 – Identify and Solve Employer’s Hidden Needs

In addition to the skills or needs listed in the ad shown above, the employer will have many more needs that Roger should identify and address in his resume and cover letter. For example, this employer will need someone who can deal effectively with other departments, research accounting issues and records to solve problems. To beat today’s heavy competition for jobs, it’s important that you identify and anticipate the full range of needs each employer faces and show how you can solve those needs.

Tip 7 – Sell the Benefits of Your Skills

Most resumes provide a list of duties that each applicant has been responsible for–without explaining the benefit of those skills to employers. For example, a secretary’s resume might state she can type 80 wpm and is extremely accurate. This statement lacks an explanation of how her typing speed and accuracy benefit an employer’s bottom line. The real benefit is that the employee can produce more work and ultimately save the employer money. A better statement for this person’s resume would be:
Selling The Benefits of Skills
· Achieved top production volume by maintaining high degree of accuracy with typing speed at 80 wpm.
· Cut labor expense over $6,000 annually by eliminating the need for part-time wordprocessing staff.

Tip 8 – Create An Image That Matches The Salary You Want

As you write your resume, keep in mind the level of job and salary you want. Be sure to create an image that presents you at the appropriate level. For example, language used in a resume for an $8 an hour position is much different than the language used for a $16 an hour position. I recently met Lynn, who had held a Health Insurance Claims Management position making $42,000 per year. She had retrained for the accounting field and hadn’t yet gained any “direct accounting experience” although she had prepared monthly accounting reports as a Department Manager.

I was appalled when she shared the resume she had been counseled to create. It began with this statement:

Seeking an entry level position in the accounting field.

Now what pay rate do you think this statement would motivate employers to offer Lynn? A much better statement would be:

Seek an Accounting position utilizing my experience:

· Managing a department and accounting for up to $250,000 in monthly claims.

My goal is to help people either stay at their current salary level or move up–not go backwards. As you can see, the last statement greatly elevates Lynn’s image and will be much more likely to generate salary offers comparable to her last pay rate.

Tip 9 – Prioritize the Content of Your Resume

Another big mistake that job seekers make is to list very important data in the lower sections of their job descriptions. As you compile statements for your resume, prioritize them by importance, impressiveness and relevance to the job you want. Remember that a strong statement which uses power words and quantifies will affect every statement under it. Read the two examples below. Which one has the most impact?

Unprioritized

Maintained records control, filing, office supply purchasing and equipment maintenance.
Managed front office functions to support the President, Vice President and staff of 20 Sales Representatives.

Prioritized

Managed front office functions to support the President, Vice President and staff of 20 Sales Representatives. Maintained records control, filing, office supply purchasing and equipment maintenance.

Tip 10 – Tweak and Target Your Resumes and Cover Letters

You will generate many more interviews by tweaking your resume and cover letter so that they address the specific skills each employer requests. For example, Sally originally wanted a customer service position, then found an ad for a Retail Management opening. How well qualified do the headings in the left hand column present her for the Retail Management position? Do you think the headings in the right hand column will generate more and better interviews for Retail Management positions?

Customer Service Cash Accountability
Computer Skills Retail Management / Customer Service
Cash Accountability / Supervision of Retail Stations Retail Accounting Applications

Sally’s actual title had been Lead Cashier, even though she managed her own retail cashiering station in addition to 6 other cashiers and stations. Once Sally had created her original resume, it only took about 5 minutes to tweak and relabel her skill descriptions to fit Retail Management positions. This “relabeling” is entirely truthful and is extremely important in landing more interviews because it allows job seekers to apply for, and look qualified for, a wider range of jobs.