JOB SPECIAL ............ MAKE YOUR CV STANDOUT

MAKE YOUR CV STANDOUT In a challenging economic environment, you will need more than just the right credentials to bag the job you’re eyeing – you’ll also need a dynamic resume. Suraj Ahuja learnt this first-hand when he took the help of an experienced friend in redrafting his resume to apply for a job as a manager in an accounting firm. After analysing the job requirements, he customised his resume to showcase the skills relevant to it. “I really feel the extra effort I put into it did the trick,”he says. Sreeradha D Basu speaks to experts to find out how to make your resume stand out in a sea of applications: 1 Summarise Achievements ManpowerGroup India director GN Udiaver says a summary of achievements shows the commitment and engagement of the candidate when working with various employers. “It must be done for atleast the last 2-3 jobs along with the individual’s role in the programme/project/initiative. The achievements listed must have success dimensions, such as cost saved, productivity improvement, cost management etc,” suggests Udaiver. 2 Highlight Challenges Draw attention to difficult tasks that have been assigned to you ahead of your peers. “The best people are typically assigned tasks/clients/projects that are normally given to more senior people. If it happens regularly, especially during the first year of each new job, it shows tangible evidence of the achiever pattern,” says Rajiv Burman, managing partner of search and selection firm Lighthouse Partners. Similarly, he says, people need to highlight when they have been put on important multifunctional teams. 3 Spell out Work Dimensions Besides role description, a good CV must clearly list out the work dimensions. “These dimensions are important because they provide an insight to any future employer about the size, geographic coverage, critical customer contact points etc of your job,” says GN Udiaver of ManpowerGroup. For example: ‘manages a fund portfolio of 500 crore’ or ‘manages a sales turnover of 150 crore in the Southern region’ etc. 4 Emphasise Initiative Include occasions when you have volunteered or asked to be assigned to projects over your level. A person needs a lot of confidence to take on a task where they have little or no experience. “If they’re successful at it multiple times, the person deserves double bonus points,” says Lighthouse Partners’ Burman. 5 Highlight Rapid Rise  If you have got out-of-turn promotions, make that the focal point. Burman says this indicates the high value your employers placed on you. “Also highlight if you have been rehired by a previous organisation since top managers tend to rehire their best subordinates from previous companies,” he says.

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