15 Golden Tips

The thought of writing a resume intimidates almost anyone. It's difficult to know where to start or what to include. It can seem like an insurmountable task. Here are 15 tips to help you not only tackle the task, but also write a winning resume.

1. Determine your job search objective prior to writing the resume. Once you have determined your objective, you can structure the content of your resume around that objective. Think of your objective as the bull's-eye to focus your resume on hitting. If you write your resume without having a clear objective in mind, it will likely come across as unfocused to those that read it. Take the time before you start your resume to form a clear objective.
   
   

2. Think of your resume as a marketing tool. Think of yourself as a product, potential employers as your customers, and your resume as a brochure about you. Market yourself through your resume. What are your features and benefits? What makes you unique? Make sure to convey this information in your resume.
   
   

3. Use your resume to obtain an interview, not a job. You don't need to go into detail about every accomplishment. Strive to be clear and concise. The purpose of your resume is to generate enough interest in you to have an employer contact you for an interview. Use the interview to provide a more detailed explanation of your accomplishments and to land a job offer.
   
   

4. Use bulleted sentences. In the body of your resume, use bullets with short sentences rather than lengthy paragraphs. Resumes are read quickly. This bulleted sentence format makes it easier for someone to quickly scan your resume and still absorb it.
   
   

5. Use action words. Action words cause your resume to pop. To add life to your resume, use bulleted sentences that begin with action words like prepared, developed, monitored, and presented.
   
   

6. Use #'s, Rs. and %'s. Numbers, dollars, and percentages stand out in the body of a resume. Use them. Here are two examples:
   * Managed a department of 10 with a budget of Rs.1,000,000.
   * Increased sales by 25% in a 15-state territory.
   
   

7. Lead with your strengths. Since resumes are typically reviewed in 30 seconds, take the time to determine which bullets most strongly support your job search objective. Put those strong points first where they are more apt to be read.
   
   

8. Play Match Game. Review want ads for positions that interest you. Use the key words listed in these ads to match them to bullets in your resume. If you have missed any key words, add them to your resume.
   
   

9. Use buzzwords. If there are terms that show your competence in a particular field, use them in your resume. For marketing people, use "competitive analysis." For accounting types, use "reconciled accounts."
   
   

10. Accent the positive. Leave off negatives and irrelevant points. If you feel your date of graduation will subject you to age discrimination, leave the date off your resume. If you do some duties in your current job that don't support your job search objective, leave them off your resume. Focus on the duties that do support your objective. Leave off irrelevant personal information like your height and weight.
    
    

11. Show what you know. Rather than going into depth in one area, use your resume to highlight your breadth of knowledge. Use an interview to provide more detail.
    
    

12. Show who you know. If you have reported to someone important such as a vice president or department manager, say so in your resume. Having reported to someone important causes the reader to infer that you are important.
    
    

13. Construct your resume to read easily. Leave white space. Use a font size no smaller than 10 point. Limit the length of your resume to 1-2 pages. Remember, resumes are reviewed quickly. Help the reader to scan your resume efficiently and effectively.
    
    

14. Have someone else review your resume. Since you are so close to your situation, it can be difficult for you to hit all your high points and clearly convey all your accomplishments. Have someone review your job search objective, your resume, and listings of positions that interest you. Encourage them to ask questions. Their questions can help you to discover items you inadvertently left off your resume. Revise your resume to include these items. Their questions can also point to items on your resume that are confusing to the reader. Clarify your resume based on this input.
    
    

15. Submit your resume to potential employers. Have the courage to submit your resume. Think of it as a game where your odds of winning increase with every resume you submit. You really do increase your odds with every resume you submit. Use a three-tiered approach. Apply for some jobs that appear to be beneath you. Perhaps they will turn out to be more than they appeared to be once you interview for them. Or perhaps once you have your foot in the door you can learn of other opportunities. Apply for jobs that seem to be just at your level. You will get interviews for some of those jobs. See how each job stacks up. Try for some jobs that seem like a stretch. That's how you grow -- by taking risks. Don't rule yourself out. Trust the process. Good luck in your job search!

How your Resume should look

Resume Dos and Don'ts


When Preparing Your Resume ... Do:

* Tailor the resume to the opportunity by highlighting your qualifications and expertise that match specific job requirements.
* Accurately summarize the software and technologies that you are familiar with and how long you have used each one.
* Highlight your achievements by demonstrating the ways in which the projects you worked on affected the company's bottom line. Did they increase sales, broaden the customer base, enhance visibility, reach target markets or improve productivity?
* Clearly show areas where you have been given increased responsibility for a job well done.
* Include special recognition, awards and participation in relevant professional organizations.
* Proofread for errors. You can be screened out for not being detail-oriented.
* Review your resume with your references so they are up-to-date on your current accomplishments.
* Update your resume after every position or significant freelance assignment.

When Preparing Your Resume ... Don't:

* Misrepresent your education or experiences; one fabrication is often grounds for termination.
* Give reasons for termination or leaving a job.
* Include personal information such as your height, weight, Social Security number, social activities, and personal or religious philosophies.
* List references or state: "References available on request." The interviewer will assume that you will provide these contacts when asked.
* Use exact dates. Months and years are sufficient.
* Include your phone number or e-mail address at your current job unless your boss is aware of your intent to leave.
* List your high school education if you're a college graduate.
* Provide salary information in the resume. If the ad requests a salary range, include it in the cover letter. Otherwise, wait until the interview to discuss this issue.

Format for Scanning Resumes
Resume management systems scan your hardcopy resume into their databases for recruiters and hiring managers to search for new consultants. Guidelines to follow when sending hardcopy resumes that will be scanned include:

* Mail an original copy without folds or staples. A faxed resume may not scan.
* Left justify the entire document.
* Avoid graphics, italics, underlining, bold and shading.
* Save the file as "Text with Line Breaks," and put a hard return at the end of each line.
* Avoid tabs.
* Parenthesis, brackets, horizontal or vertical lines will not scan properly.
* Do not use compressed lines of print.
* Use a sans serif font in size 10-14.

If you are a new entrant in the job market, you need to perfect your resume before applying for your 1st job

Since you are fresh out of college, use your education as your strong point. Aggregate %, CGPA, accolades, club participation, etc. will be your focus.

"Do I really need a resume? What should I write in my resume?"
These are questions which worry every college graduate looking for his/her first job. Welcome to the real world! Yes you really need to make your resume and how you present yourself in that resume will go a long way towards getting you your first job.
It's a myth that resumes of entry-level graduates are unimportant because they lack the 'pull' of experience. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not only is a well-made resume important for every job seeker, it is more critical for entry level graduates. A resume is a mirror of your professional identity. A well-defined resume impresses a recruiter. A sloppy resume immediately proclaims the candidate to be sloppy.

Here are some do's and don'ts on what makes a great resume for graduates seeking entry-level positions in industry.

OBJECTIVE
One of the most frequently heard complaints made by recruiters about entry-level resumes is that they lack a specific objective. Resumes of fresh graduates have fuzzy, general objectives or no objective at all. Mentioning a specific objective is by far the most important feature of an entry- level resume. Without goal clarity you are bound to drown in the sea of mediocrity.

The only thing worse than the absence of an objective is a vague objective. Something like "My objective is to work with a dynamic company which will fully utilise my talents…" is a complete no-no! This objective is worthless because it gives the potential employer no idea about your goals or your direction.

Your objective should be clear, well-defined and short-not more than 10-12 words.. It should be aimed towards getting a particular position in a specific industry. Thus your objective should talk about the following:
1. Position wanted
2. Functional area
3. Industry wanted

Examples of good objectives:
Example 1: "Junior management position wanted in PROGRAMMING/ engineering field in IT industry.'
Example 2: GET in position in the manufacturing field.
Example 3: Entry level programmer in a software development company.
Example 4: Marketing position in the FMCG segment of a Multinational Company.
Example 5: Multimedia software development position. Open to Relocation.
Example 6: "A position as a Production supervisor with a petro-chemical company."

SUMMARY
Summary is the second most important factor that is conspicuous by its absence in resumes of entry-level graduates. It is a good idea to include a summary of your resume after having mentioned your objective. This sums up your resume in a nutshell and gives you an opportunity to highlight your strengths. It invites the recruiter to read your detailed resume. The summary should consist of 4-5 specific points-either bulleted or in one paragraph.

Sample Summary 1:

• B.E (Computer Science) from IIT-Delhi, in 2000.
• Course in Computers Database programmes Oracle 8I & VB6 from PENTASOFT in 2005.
• Consistently good academic record.
• Good analytical and communication skills.
• Have worked on a curriculum project "XXX XXXXX XXXX"

Sample Summary 2:
"Masters in Computer Application with specialisation in J2EE/Web Technologies. Great operational, communication and computer skills. Good academic record throughout. Among the top three students out of a batch of 120 students. Undergone Industrial training in a top petrochemical Company.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Most fresher resume doesn't suffer from space constraint . However it is a good idea to include only those educational and professionals qualifications which are relevant. Put your qualifications in a reverse chronological order. i.e. the recent ones first followed by earlier ones. Entry level resume should also mention the names of their school and college, years in which they passed their board examinations. However, include your marks only you have shown a good academic performance.

WORK EXPERIENCE
An entry- level resume cannot compete with resumes of experienced workers in the area of work experience. But don't forget to list internships, voluntary work and summer training that you have undertaken. How you present these is very important. Make sure you clearly define your duty and responsibilities during this training.
E.g.: "Worked as a summer trainee in India's largest Oil Refinery. I was working for the system control department. Wrote quality reports as well as ISO features for the company." Any projects done for your school or your college should also be mentioned.


DESIGN
Follow a simple design, which gives maximum information in the minimum number of pages. Use an easy to read and commonly used font like 'Times New Roman' or 'Verdana.' Limit your font size to 10-11. Do not underline heavily.

WORD USAGE
Simple language, lucid expression with good grammar is the thumb rule. Watch your tenses carefully. Use short and simple sentences. And never-ever make the mistake of using long words just to impress the recruiter. Flowery words are for speeches, keep them away from your resume.

OUCH! THE TRUTH HURTS
There are many things we would rather not write in our resumes. And while writing a resume the strong temptation to stretch the truth (or simply lie through our teeth) can be quite overpowering. But just stomp on the temptation. Most companies opt for a reference check during recruitment. Your resume is considered a legal document and fudging up small details may cause you great embarrassment in your career.
All right! so you've made yor resume. But this is not the time to sit back and relax. There are some important post-resume do's left.

CHECK, AND RE-CHECK!
The most important post resume step: Read and re-read your resume for any mistakes. Check the facts, the grammar, the spellings. After you have checked it, get you parents, friends, teachers to check it for you. One small mistake may cost you your job.

And finally...mom is right you know! Do not procrastinate over anything, specially making your resume. Most fresh graduates prefer to leave the unappealing task of resume making till the last minute i.e the day before their first interview. However, remember that making great resumes take time and effort. And the rewards will last you a lifetime

For Example:-