Making your resume’ stand out

Writing a resume’ is an art and if done properly will give you a definite advantage in your job search process. In response to a job advertisement HR Managers today receive hundreds of resumes’. A well crafted resume’ will give you the opportunity to stand out of the crowd and get a call for an interview. It will create the all important first impression and project you as a superior candidate.

An IT recruiter says, “The first thing that we look for in a resume’ is relevant experience. However for fresh graduates we focus on their educational qualification, percentage of marks, internships, volunteer work or any relevant training programs attended. Freshers should preferably restrict themselves to a one page resume’. The name should be in bold at the top with a larger font size than the remaining text. Spelling mistakes and formatting errors should be avoided as that would possibly lead to rejection. Since we screen a number of resumes’ within a limited time period it is important to use keywords and highlight them as well. You can get a hint of what your prospective employer is looking for by reading the job advertisement carefully. You should never write about your CTC expectations in your resume’. Moreover, customize your resume’ to meet the demands of different jobs.”

It is good to pay special attention to the language you use in your resume’. A retail sector employee suggests, “Keep it simple and brief so that it is easy to understand. Do not exaggerate your accomplishments. State your objective in the beginning of the document in a realistic way. As freshers, do not forget to mention about any conferences or workshops that you may have attended. Although it may seem irrelevant it can land you that dream job. Do not state your hobbies as chatting or sleeping even if you love to do them. That will portray you as a laid back person. Never lie in your resume’. Remember most companies do background checks and if you are spotted it is sure to ruin your career even before you actually start it.” It is essential that you advertise yourself in the right way through your resume’. When you are done you can forward it to a HR professional you may know or any friend in the industry for a second opinion.

Writing an effective resume’ will surely impress your prospective employer. Make it well organized and stuff it with relevant information. You will then be noticed and would win half the battle in your job hunt.

- Ranjita Chattopadhyay (views expressed in the article are that of the author)