Resume Tips

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



Writing your resume

Writing your resume is an essential aspect of applying for a job, as it requires a lot of effort and planning on your behalf. A badly worded and poorly presented resume can put off a potential employer totally!

We intend to provide some broad guidelines to help you write a resume that could work for you. Work for you to achieve what it is meant to i.e. to get you an interview call for a job.

At the outset, it is necessary to clarify that you could use the term "resume" or "curriculum vitae" (CV), even though technically a CV is primarily meant for job positions within the academic environment and is supposed to be a lengthy document. The difference is not strictly followed and it is safe to use these two terms interchangeably, but remember that whatever word you use, be sure that you know how to pronounce it accurately!

Your resume should be about two pages long
A resume should be about two pages long. It is supposed to be a brief presentation of your skills, work experience, achievements and education. Anything too long runs the risk of being skimmed over and not read properly. Long and detailed does not necessarily imply better! What your resume has to get across to the potential employer is just this - you have the required skills, experience and education to handle the job! This can be done by appropriately focusing on the key aspects unique to your experience, and leaving out the standard repetitive details, which would be similar to those of your competitors applying for the same job/position. So, try and stick to 2 pages!

Start off by identifying your job objective
The job objective is an excellent area to include in your resume and is usually omitted. It puts your resume in the right perspective for the reader and clearly shows where you are headed in your career plans. If you are applying for an entry level position in marketing, your job objective could be something like:

Objective: Interested in an entry level position in marketing in a multi-national corporation.

The 'multi-national corporation' phrase makes your objective generic regarding company choice. It would be advisable to modify each resume to suit specific companies that you apply to. Then the job objective would read like this:

Objective: Interested in an entry level position in marketing.

Provide a summary of your experience and skills
The next section that your resume should contain is a 5-6 point summary of your skills and experience. That includes:

* No. of years of past and relevant work experience
* a brief description of the work done
* specific skills acquired
* significant achievements
* educational qualifications.

This section is very useful, in providing a snapshot view of what your resume contains for situations where yours is one resume in a pile of fifty others. It allows minimal information loss in case the resume is quickly skimmed over and not given a detailed reading. In this section, the skills that you present should help in answering the question -"How can you contribute to the organization?"

In case of IT/Software professionals, the skill set could be added to the summary. But be sure, that all the skills mentioned are truly areas you have worked in or are comfortable working in.

Use language and content that communicates a proactive style
The style of writing that you use and the particular words or phrases can make a significant difference to your resume. It affects the impression created about you regarding your past work experience and your skills. For example, you might say in your past work experience that you "maintained records and accounts". A better way of expressing the same thing could be "Reported directly to the VP-Finance and managed over 1500 accounts...". Your language and content should focus on what you achieved e.g. saving so many lakh rupees for the organization, rather than a standard listing of responsibilities which sounds like a job profile common to anyone in a similar position to yours. If you have been a brand manager in the past, do not just list your job responsibilities like" responsible for sales, profits, advertising related to the brand...". Instead highlight things like " Implemented change in product formulation that saved Rs 50 lakhs per year for the brand...". Quantifiable parameters have a better impact than just saying " Implemented change in product formulation".


Prioritise details of your past work experience
After the summary section, you can go on to providing details of your past work experience. Leave aside the job objective and summary and that gives you just one and a half pages to cover the details of your work experience as well as your educational qualifications. You need to prioritise. Decide what weightage to give to different organisations/positions. You should not skip any place worked at, but you obviously cannot give all details of each position. A few points to note while preparing this section:

You could present the work experience in reverse chronological order
Start with the most recent work experience at the beginning of this section and the rest later on. That is the organisation where you are currently working first and the earlier ones worked in, later in the resume. This should highlight your relevant work experience at the outset.

Within an organisation, present your career path in the correct chronological order
While you may present the organisations you have worked in, in reverse chronological order, for a particular organisation it is easier to follow your career path if the positions are given in the way they happened e.g. " joined ABC co. as management trainee in 1989 and was promoted to assistant manager (finance) in 1991.....". You could then go on to elaborate your responsibilities and achievements at this position. Remember to highlight the more important designations with their accomplishments, as this will be more relevant than just focusing on your training period.

Mention responsibilities briefly, focus more on accomplishments
If responsibilities are similar across positions in an organisation, try to avoid repeating the same set of responsibilities with each position. That will unnecessarily increase the size of your resume without giving any additional value. Instead, try and include your different achievements at each position, or something that you introduced or did differently in your job. This would also hold true for situations where responsibilities are similar across organisations. Avoid tautology and stick to the accomplishments.

If worked in many organisations, merge information to reduce chronological details
To avoid presenting a long, chronological detail of each organisation worked in, try and merge information on similar positions/responsibilities across organisations into one category. This will be easier to read and will also avoid presenting a negative image of you being a job-hopper.

If changing your area of specialisation, classify the information by function
If you are changing your field from finance to marketing, then instead of just presenting the details of your past work experience in reverse chronological order by organisation, you could classify the information into different functional areas e.g. your responsibilities and achievements in finance (even if across companies); similarly for marketing. You should try and incorporate some marketing experience (and hopefully you will have some) if you intend to get into that area.

Include other information only if significant
You may like to mention your hobbies, interests or extra-curricular activities, under a separate heading, but it will really not add value to your resume unless you have made a significant achievement there. For example, mentioning mountaineering as a hobby is not relevant unless you have achieved something like taken a trip to Mount Everest or Kanchenjunga!

Such achievements which are not directly related to your work experience can be put under the heading "Other information".

Present educational qualifications with the most recent one first
When giving information on your educational qualifications in a separate section, it is advisable to begin by presenting the most recent degree/diploma achieved, as this is usually relevant to the work you are currently doing. For example, if you have acquired a post-graduate degree in management, give that information at the outset.

There is no need to go as far back as schooling, unless you are a fresh graduate with no work experience. Remember, the resume is just 2 pages and you need to give better reasons for being recruited than the school you studied in!

If you have acquired a degree in some other country, mention a degree that it is equivalent to which is internationally recognised, to put it in the right perspective for the reader.

Avoid tables while presenting details of educational qualifications because they occupy more space and interfere with the smooth flow of sentences and points.

Provide information on training if it is at least 3 months or more. Short term one week courses do not really look good on your resume unless you do not have enough to say in 2 pages!

Even if you are not a software/IT professional, today computer literacy is assumed for most positions. So don't list competencies in MS-Word and such like but do include any significant packages you may have learnt, helped develop or are in the process of learning.

For a candidate applying for an entry level position in an organisation, the educational qualifications will be more important as there is no significant work experience other than training. This section could therefore, come before work experience, in your resume.

References should be provided on request
Though it is useful to have names and contact numbers of people to give as references, it makes sense to provide them only on request. You should not give the details on your resume but provide the information later on, when asked for, or further on in the selection process.

The reason for this is that at the outset you do not know how long your resume will be with a company before you get an interview call. By then the persons you mentioned as references may have moved or their contact numbers could have changed.

Also you can tailor your list of references based on the company you are applying to. So there is no need to provide the same information to all the places you send your resume to.

It is also a good idea to inform your references that you have given their names before they receive a call out of the blue. This way when the employers who have included you in the short-list for recruitment, contact your references to check you out, there are no hitches or surprises.

Try and follow these guidelines and you will be surprised at the improvements you can make to your resume!

Remember the resume format is flexible depending on the specifics of your background and experience.



WRITING A RESUME

What is a resume?
A resume is a concise written statement which highlights the qualifications and skills you possess as a result of your life experiences.

It communicates a maximum amount of relevant information through a minimum number of words. A resume is a printed synopsis, a capsule biography designed to persuade an employer to grant you an interview or to request your formal application.
Who should have a resume?
Everyone! In today's tough job market, the average individual changes jobs at least once every 4-6 years. The primary tool used by almost every employer to weed out prospective employees is the resume. The resume is your entry ticket to the job game.
When should I begin putting my resume together?
Now! A resume is something that grows and changes as you do. It's never too early to get started.
A well-prepared resume is a necessary tool for effective employment seeking. The time and effort devoted to resume preparation is a worthwhile investment in your future. Another major advantage to developing your own resume is that the very discipline required to collect, analyze, and prepare your data for writing provides the opportunity for necessary self-assessment. In addition, you will be better prepared to interview effectively with your educational and employment history at your fingertips.
Where to start?
Think of your resume as an advertisement. Before you write the advertisement, you must know what the product is that you are selling. You are the product! Make sure that you can clearly state what the benefits of this product are: your skills, abilities, competencies, motivation, and potential. Start by sketching your past work and educational experience.
Do not worry about form, that will be covered later. The important thing is to create a pool of information on which to draw. The best resumes are those that target the employer's needs. Do a little research into the employer's needs. This can be done through the job referral itself, annual reports and other publications by the employer, and publications in the Career Services Library .
Creating Your Resume
The Resume Heading:
You do not need to title this document as a resume; it should be readily apparent that it is a resume. The heading should consist of your name (which should be in bold capital letters), your address, phone number (including zip codes and area codes), and e-mail address. The ease with which a potential employer can contact you is vital. If you are in a transition period, you can list a current address and a permanent address.
Career or Job Objective:
This is a brief statement telling the reader what type of position you are seeking. Don't leave it to the employer to assume anything. They don't have time to guess. An objective is favored by most resume advisors.
Sample Objectives:
"A position in real estate management or development, requiring financial, analytical, and communication skills."
"Entry level position in a consumer goods manufacturing company."
"A position requiring a combination of editorial, research or administrative skills in a non-profit or research organization."
Education:
Whether educational experience is discussed first will depend on the individual. The education of a recent college graduate with little experience will make up the bulk of the resume. The resume is read from top down, therefore, put the most impressive or relevant data first. Normally, the further along one is in his or her professional career, the less importance will be given to their additional credentials and more importance will be given to specific accomplishments and experiences.
Under the heading of education list the institutions you have attended, after high school, names and dates of degrees conferred, special certificates, and majors. Grade point average (GPA) is a concern of many employers; you do not have to list it, but if it is impressive you should. Examples are GPA in major or senior year. Courses should not be listed by name and number. Your transcripts will define these specifics. Honors and extracurricular activities may be better if listed under separate headings. See examples listed at the end of this pamphlet.
The Content or Body:
There are three basic resume formats: chronological, functional, and a combination of the two. All of these formats combine the previous headings in various order, so as to present the information in an appropriate manner depending on the individual and type of position you are seeking. The following paragraphs will discuss each format and the pros and cons. Examples are given at the end of this pamphlet.
Chronological Resume The chronological resume lists most recent experience first, then the rest follow in reverse order.
Pros:
When the name of your last employer is an important consideration;
When staying in same field as prior jobs;
When job history shows real growth and development;
When prior titles are impressive;
In highly traditional fields (education, government).
Cons:
When work history is spotty;
When changing your career goals;
When you have changed employers too frequently;
When you wish to de-emphasize age;
When you have been doing the same thing too long;
When you have been absent from the job market for a while;
When you are looking for your first job.
Compiling a Chronological Resume
1. Start with present or most recent position and work backward.
2. Detail only the last four or five positions, or employment covering the last few years.
3. You do not need the complete date, year and month are sufficient.
4. Do not repeat details that are common in several positions.
5. Within each position listed, stress major accomplishments and responsibilities that demonstrate your full competency to do the job. Use action verbs.
6. Keep your next job target in mind, as you describe your prior positions.Emphasize accomplishments that are most related to the position you are seeking.
Education is not included in the chronological order. A general rule is, if it is within the last five years, it should go at the top of the resume. If earlier, it should be placed at the bottom.
Functional Resume
If the functional format is used, you will need to identify several functional or topical headings under which you will describe all elements of your work experience that give evidence of development of these particular skills. For example: editorial and writing, research, administrative, and organization.
These are major skill areas. One may describe, under a single heading, experience gained in more than one job. No attention is given to when or where these experiences were obtained, nor is it important to even identify, by name, the employers. In fact, "pure" functional resumes have no dates or organizations identified. See the example of a functional resume, attached.
Pros
When you want to emphasize capabilities not used in recent work experiences;
When changing careers;
When entering the job market for the first time;
When reentering the job market after an absence;
If career growth in the past has not been good;
When you have had a variety of different, relatively unconnected work experience;
When much of your work has been free-lance, consulting, or temporary in nature.
Cons
When emphasizing a management growth pattern; for highly traditional fields;
When you have performed a limited number of functions in your work;
When your most recent employers have been highly prestigious.
Combination of Chronological and Functional Resumes
The functional resume effectively communicates what your skills and competencies are, but fails to communicate where and when you acquired these skills. This is its major limitation. Many employers seek to know the context of your skill development. The combination resume highlights your skills in functional categories as well as answers the questions of "where" and "when?”

Experience:
This is the most important part of the resume and usually the most lengthy. Job title alone will not do. You should describe your actual responsibilities, make your positive assets known, express your duties in terms of your accomplishments and use action words. Stress the benefits that your previous employer derived from your contributions and your strong points in terms of benefits to future employers. If your job experience has only been part time or limited to summer jobs or volunteer work, do not short change yourself. Think about the positive aspects, the skills used and accomplishments.
Begin with your current or most recent job and work backwards. Make sure all your time is accounted for, do not leave time gaps. Be sure to list all your work experience, whether paid or unpaid. Employers like to see volunteer and community work.
List the job title, company name, location, duties on the job and dates of employment. If it is a job you went to each summer, just list the years and note below the years, "summer".
Other Optional Sections:
Honors/Awards
This section would include any honors or awards received pertaining to your academic career, sports, and job related. Also include any scholarships you may have received.
Extracurricular Activities
List any clubs you belonged to during your college career or subsequently. If you held an office, be sure to include that. No dates are needed in this section, only the organization's name and your office if you held one. Any professional organizations related to your career look good to an employer. Also in this section list any sports that you played competitively. during college.
Computer Skills
List computer programs you know how to operate.
Special Certification
List any certification (i.e. CPR, First Aid) pertinent to the career you are pursuing.
References
At the end of your resume you should include a page titled, "References". You should have at least 3 references. You will need their name, title, address, and phone number typed on this sheet of paper. Be sure to let your references know you are using them! If the companies ask for letters of reference, contact your references, ask them to write a letter on their stationary, and mail it to you or the employer depending on instructions given by the employer. References should be people who are familiar with your abilities, either in college or at work. Use former employers or college staff. The higher up in the organization, the better. Do not use personal friends or relatives.
Wording
Remember that an employer usually only skims a resume, spending 40 to 50 seconds on it. For this reason it is important to avoid long sentences and paragraphs. When describing experience, concentrate on achievements and accomplishments, not assigned duties. Wherever possible, qualify results with figures: "increased membership or sales by X%.", "reconciled budget of $X.00" Also keep in mind the following hints:
Do not use personal pronouns. The subject of every section is "I", and it becomes redundant.
Start sentences with verbs that convey action.
Use an outline format. Short sentences-even fragments. Delete repetitive statements.
Avoid abbreviations.
Use the vocabulary of the field for which you are applying, not from the field from which you are coming.
Whenever possible, refer to specific quantitative qualifiers or results.
Be sure to use correct voice and tense in you wording-past and present tense depending on employment situation.
Be consistent once you have chosen a style and format.
Always write in the employer's interest.
Appearance
Now that you have created a product with which to market yourself, we come to the final and one of the most important aspects of the resume: Appearance!! Your resume must be aesthetically pleasing to hold the readers attention as long as possible. The following are suggestions to help you with this area:
A resume should not look like a page out of a novel.
The use of margins and white spaces is very important in creating a positive visual presence.
Spacing is important to allow important items to stand out.
Boldface, underlining, and capitalizing should be used sparingly and consistently, to help the reader key into those areas you believe are important: skill areas, job titles, or workplace.
Indenting helps to separate different type of information and makes reading easier.
Only use letter perfect type and triple check for typos and spelling errors.
Guidelines to Remember:
A resume should be one page in length-two only if necessary.
A resume should be professional in appearance.
A resume should be typed or printed on (8 1/2" X 11") white bond or off-white colors.
A resume may have underlined or italicized words for added emphasis.
A resume should not contain a photograph.
Gimmick resumes should be used with care and good taste.
Important credentials should be presented first
Specific information on work experience should be included.
Do not use unusual type styles.
Have good quality copies made.