Resume Tips

[Friendz]

Resume Tips


A resume, no matter how good, will not get you a job by itself. However, a good resume will attract the attention of the hiring manager and secure a job interview. The purpose of a resume is to disclose your accomplishments and qualifications to a potential employer. If the employer likes what she sees, she will contact you for a face-to-face meeting.

• Think of your resume as a promotional brochure about you. You need to show a potential employer what you have accomplished and where your experience lies. Your strategy should be to emphasize the experience and skills that a particular employer is looking for.
• Your resume is also an example of your communication and organizational skills. A well done resume is itself another reminder of what kind of valuable employee you would be. Likewise, a sloppily produced resume is a terrific way to get yourself taken out of the running before it even starts.
• There is a lot of information available on resumes and resume writing--some of it contradictory, but most of it useful. Our advice is to find a good book on resumes and learn the fundamentals of resume writing. Try to stay with the most current material you can; resume advice follows trends. The Internet is home to plenty of free advice and information, but in most cases that information will be less detailed than a good resume guide.
• Think of your resume as a promotional brochure about you. You need to show a potential employer what you have accomplished and where your experience lies. Your strategy should be to emphasize the experience and skills that a particular employer is looking for.
• Keep it concise. Employers have lots to do, so don't make the mistake of asking them to read through an unnecessarily long resume. A long, wordy resume will put off someone who is already short on time. Resumes should be one page, if possible, and two if absolutely necessary to describe relevant work experience. A two page resume is no advantage if it's full of information that isn't reasonably applicable to the position you're applying for. Use the space only if you need it to fully disclose your accomplishments.
• Make your words count. Your use of language is extremely important; you need to sell yourself to an employer quickly and effeciently. Address your potential employer's needs with a clearly written, compelling resume.
• Avoid large paragraphs (over six or seven lines). Resumes are often scanned by hiring managers. If you provide small, digestible pieces of information you stand a better chance of having your resume actually read. Use action verbs such as "developed," "managed," and "designed" to emphasize 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." It's not only more efficient to say "Managed," it's stronger and more active.
• Make the most of your experience.
• Potential employers need to know what you have accomplished to have an idea of what you can do for them.
• Don't be vague. Describe things that can be measured objectively. Telling someone that you "improved warehouse efficiency" doesn't say much. Telling them that you "cut requisition costs by 20%, saving the company $3800 for the fiscal year" does. Employers will feel more comfortable hiring you if they can verify your accomplishments. Be honest. There is a difference between making the most of your experience and exaggerating or falsifying it. A falsified resume can be easily spotted by an employer (if not immediately then during the interview process), and if it doesn't prevent you from getting the job, it can cost you the job later on.
• Don't neglect appearance. Your resume is the first impression you'll make on a potential employer, and a successful resume depends on more than what you say; how you say it counts as well.
• Check your resume for proper grammar and correct spelling-evidence of good communication skills and attention to detail. Nothing can ruin your chances of getting a job faster than submitting resume filled with (easily preventable) mistakes.
• Make your resume easy on the eyes. Use normal margins (1" on the top and bottom, 1.25" on the sides) and don't cram your text onto the page. Allow for some breathing room between the different sections. Avoid unusual or exotic font styles; use simple fonts with a professional look.
• Use standard, non-textured, fine-grained paper in white or ivory. Keep in mind that textured and dark colored paper may not copy well when the employer makes copies to pass around to other participants in the hiring process.
• If you need to copy your resume, make sure your copies are clean and clear. Even the best looking resume can be ruined by a poor copier. Use only copiers maintained for professional copying.
• Target. Target. Target. Emphasize what you can do for an employer. Be specific. If you are going after more than one job opening, customize your resume accordingly. It helps to tailor your resume for a specific position. Remember to only include the experience that is relevant to the job.
• Eliminate superfluous details. Unnecessary details can take up a lot of valuable space on your resume.
• Don't mention personal characteristics such as age, height, and marital status. This is information that employers may not legally solicit from you, and they would probably be more comfortable if you don't volunteer it yourself.
• List your hobbies and interests only if you can relate them to the position you're applying for. If you need room to describe your work experience, avoid this altogether.
• The phrase "References available upon request" should be left off if you need room to describe your work experience. Most employers assume you have references they may contact, and will request them if there's a need to do so.
• Avoid the "Objective" statement--your objective should be clearly articulated in your cover letter. If you do include an objective, be specific. Vague statements, such as "Looking to utilize my marketing skills" or "seeking a rewarding position" add nothing to a resume and may in fact make you appear insincere.

[Friendz]

14 Tips for Writing a Scannable Resume

• Use a clear type face. Preferably, Sans Serif or Times.
• Boldface is accepted by most systems. Unless an employer specifically tells to not use boldface, you may use it.
• Use a font size of 10 to 14. Anything smaller may not be picked up by some scanners.
• Avoid using italic text, script, and underlined passages. When italic and script are together they sometimes touch causing an error in the scanning process.
• Avoid using graphics and shading. Scanners will be slowed trying to read a large graphic or table.
• Use few horizontal and vertical lines. Horizontal lines may blur when scanned.
• Avoid compressing space between lines. Don't try to squeeze everything onto one page. This will confuse a scanner.
• Never use a nine-pin dot matrix printer. You should use a 24-pin or even a laser printer. This makes the resumes more professional looking.
• Always send originals. With an original you won't have any specks or smudges.
• Minimize the use of general abbreviations. Some scanners will not recognize abbreviations unless they are already programmed in.
• Maximize the use of industry jargon and abbreviations. Industry terms will be programmed in to help the employer separate the good from the bad.
• Use a traditional resume structure. Avoid confusing layouts.
• Avoid a four-page resume on a folded 11" X 17" sheet. The recruiter will have to tear the sheets.
• Use light-colored, standard 8.5" X 11" paper. The more contrast between ink and paper the better.

[Friendz]

Resume Writing Tips
Keep it brief and concise
Do not turn your resume into a tedious list of key responsibility areas. Many people even use their company jargon in writing a resume. Instead tell the prospective employer how you made a difference to your job. Provide specific examples of how the company you work for gained from your performance. Highlight any goals which you achieved ahead of time, or any special cost-cutting measures spearheaded by your department.


Your resume should answer the following questions:

• What special expertise did you bring to your current job?
• Attach any special praise, certificates of achievement presented to you or your department.
• What were the problems or challenges that you or the organisation faced?
• What did you do to overcome the problems?
  
  In all, the complete length of your CV should not be more than 2 pages.

Do not use long-winded sentences and old-fashioned language.
“Sir, I would hereby draw your esteemed attention to the way my talents are in tandem with your company’s long-term goals” is a sentence most employers do not have time to read. Be specific, be direct. Which goals will you help the company to achieve better sales revenue, a new strategy to cut costs, better management of inter-department communication. Explain in a few crisp sentences what you do now, and what you aim to do in your new job.
Do not sprinkle your CV with personal pronouns
It is your CV and is bound to be about you. However, try to avoid using I, me, my in the CV.

The statement:I overshot my sales target by 20 percent and I was given a special increment by the marketing director.

Is better written as: Overshot my sales target by 20 percent, and was given a special increment by the marketing director.
Connect your skills to your job history
Your resume should record your career progression. That is, do link new skills to jobs done. Also the skills that you now have to the job you are applying for. Here is the basic resume layout:

• Lead with a strong profile section (detailing the scope of your experience, skill sets, key responsibility areas)
• Reverse chronological employment history (emphasising achievements in the past 10-15 years)
• Education (this might be moved to the top for fresh graduates)
• Other related topics include professional affiliations, community activities, technical expertise, and languages spoken.
• Personal details.

Include industry keywords in your CV
With the majority of large- and medium-size companies using technology to store resumes, the only hope a job seeker has of being found in an applicant search is the inclusion of relevant industry keywords. These do not have to be a separate section; rather, they can be sprinkled throughout the resume. A good way to determine keywords is to read job descriptions for positions that interest you. If you see industry buzzwords, incorporate them into your resume.
Keep references ready but provide only if asked for
Referees (people in responsible positions who refer you for the job) are the key to get a good job. Keep at least two good referees lined up but do not list them unless you are asked for them.
Check your resume for proper grammar & correct spelling!
This cannot be emphasized enough. Poor grammar and misspelled words cause a potential employer to question your attention to detail and the quality of your work. With a sea of applicants to select from why should they bother with an individual with a poor resume? Remember your resume is your personal promotional brochure. After checking your resume for grammar and spelling have some friends or colleagues look it over, the more the better.
With each viewing and edit your resume becomes more polished and will be more successful at its purpose- bringing you to employers' attention.
Eliminate unnecessary resume details
Hobbies and other personal interests should only be included if they relate to the positions you’re interested in.

[Directresponse4u]

Getting a job interview can be quite challenging especially when you deal with tough competition for the job. We only get one chance to make the first impression, thus we must do it the right way. Our resumes speak a lot about how we can contribute to the company with our skills and apabilities. Thus, resume writing is very crucial. Here are some simple tips to ponder which can help you create a first impression with your resume:
Keep in mind that you should utilize a professional resume format when you are writing a resume for a job application.

The two most accepted formats of writing resume are the functional and chronological formats. To facilitate the interview process, you can use chronological format so that your interviewer can follow through your employment timeline.


Always keep in mind that you create your resume with proper punctuations and order. Avoid grammatical errors in your resume. This will completely push your recruiters away. Use spell checker tools over Microsoft Word to check for grammar and spelling errors. You must have a hard copy of your resume and assess it. Proof read your resume and let a colleague or a friend read your resume. In this way you can check the resume thoroughly as they say, two heads are better than one.

[Total Vishwas]

Great tips!!

[mimiechan]

thank for your tips

[hoanam]

The two most accepted formats of writing resume are the functional and chronological formats. To facilitate the interview process, you can use chronological format so that your interviewer can follow through your employment timeline.

[kerenpeles]

thxxxxxxxx

[bugkuska]

thank xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[resumetemp00]

Great tips. Learned a lot. Thanks again.