Create a winning resume
R.C. Sharma

Tracking down the right job is rarely a chance. It requires a lot of hard work and good planning. The first and foremost point in searching your desired job is the drafting of an appropriate curriculum vitae (CV) or resume.

A CV is a summary of your education, skills, accomplishments and experience. It is the first impression and a ticket to an interview that can help you secure a job. If you wish to be amongst those shortlisted, your resume should stand out and compete successfully with the others.

During the interview, the only source of information the employer has about you is your resume. Many of the questions posed to you will be based upon this document. Hence, be sure to know what you have put before the employer.

The layout

Your resume should be organised into three major sections: experience, education, professional affiliations and awards.

List your objectives. Everything in your resume should support and expand on your objectives.

Format

There is no standard format for an ideal resume. The pattern of an appropriate resume can vary from situation to situation. Do a spot analysis of the job profile you are applying for and then decide the contents of the resume. Include all appropriate information relevant to the job, highlighting that your abilities and skill set are complementary to the needs of the job.

Prepare an impressive-looking resume and get it typed on a bond paper. Use a word processor/computer to write your resume. Sometimes companies may specify that they want a hand-written covering letter but the resume should always be typed.

Remember, the quality of presentation should never be ignored. It is important to keep things concise. For it, intelligent formating is required.

Keep the following important points in mind which identify the basic structure of a resume.

Introduction: Begin the resume with a section on personal particulars. Mention your name, address, age, languages known and contact details. Nationality and travel document details need to be given only if applying for a job abroad and could be mentioned as a separate section at the end. If you want to apply for more than one post, prepare a resume for each position and carry copies for each one.

Objectives: This section is often quite important as the reviewer might decide at this stage if he or she needs to read any further. This section should present your short-term and long-term goals. Give, in brief, your background and career objectives. Include professional as well as academic achievements. List your key personality traits that best complement your objectives, preferably tying in with skill requirements of the job applied for.

Make sure that the things that need to stand out are on the front page of the resume. Choose an appropriate heading that reflects the message you want a prospective employer to receive. Summarise your background, describing your strengths with concrete examples from past achievements and enumerate precisely what you can do well.

Be honest: Always be honest. Do not write anything in your resume which may put you in an awkward position in the interview.

Work experience: In this section, prospective employers are looking to carefully determine your skills and how they fit into the job requirements. List out work experience in reverse chronological order, beginning with the most recent. If applying for your first job, include any part-time experience, apprenticeship or projects that you may have undertaken. In each job, responsibilities and significant achievements and how you delivered them need to be detailed.

Educational qualifications

Keep this section very brief. Begin with the most recent qualification and work in reverse chronological order. Mention the programme of study and highlight the courses taken, practical work and experience, special projects completed as research work and presentations.

Include a small section to highlight awards, scholarships, workshops attended, membership of professional bodies as well as interests and hobbies together with special achievements —both in academic and professional life. You must describe the computer skills you possess. It is a key requisite in every job today.

Employers are keenly interested in activities that enable you to develop skills or effective ways to working. However, do not include a long list, instead list fewer activites.

References

Most organisations ask for references. It is advisable to give the names of two individuals who could be your referees. Both should be known to you personally, people who can vouch for your character, competence and commitment. As a matter of your character, obtain their consent before giving their details as a reference. Care must be taken to mention the correct address and office and residence telephone numbers, in case the prospective employer wishes to check with them.

Once the contents of the resume are in place, turn attention to the aesthetic aspects. Format the resume — segregate each sub-head into a separate section, align paragraphs, use bold lettering to highlight points that reflect the message you want the employer to receive. This would draw their attention to it.

It is essential to read and re-read your resume carefully to ensure there is no spelling or grammatical mistakes. A resume with spelling mistakes will surely make a poor impression on prospective employers.

The resume is only the beginning in search of the right job. It is aptly said: “Well begun is half done.” If your resume is appropriate and up to the mark, it would surely get you short-listed in the screening process and help you move closer to your coveted job.