SMARTEN YOUR RESUMÉ
Here are
tips to make your CV stand out from the rest, helping you make a great first
impression on hirers.
1 WHAT'S IN A NAME?
The
e-mail ID that you have had since you were 15 is only going to elicit sniggers
from prospective employers.First get a respectable ID, preferably one that just
spells out your name.Also, stick to one contact number.
2 DON'T BLIND YOUR EMPLOYER
Use 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 grab it with a good beginning,“ says Vivek Madhukar of TimesJobs.com.
3 AVOID THE `I' SYNDROME
Stop
focusing 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.
4 AVOID TOO MANY DETAILS
If there
is a period in your work experience that you do not want to mention, leave it
out. However, if it is longer than a year, you will have to state what you were
doing. If you were involved in an entrepreneurial activity, it could even be a
point in your favour. Downplay very old experiences.
5 GET RID OF THE HUMDRUM
Avoid
jotting down commonplace abilities. The same goes for achievements that are
redundant to the job. Hobbies is another section that can be safely dropped.
6 TURN FLAWS INTO VIRTUES
Choose
your words carefully.The choice of words will depend on the post you are applying
for. You should be able to substantiate the qualities you mention
7 THROW OUT CLICHES
Recruiters
have been there, heard that. Unfortunately, candidates still cling to phrases
like `I give my 110%' or `I'm passionate about my job'.They just take up space
on your CV.
8 LEAVE THE YEARS BEHIND
If you've
managed to get a graduate degree, you must have completed your schooling.
Pointing it out is waste of space. Ditto for the month and years in which you
completed various courses and the percentages or grades you scored.
--Wealth
9 May 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment