Well formatted resume is a must to stand out from the crowd and also provide relevant and correct information to the recruiter. We offer a diverse range of services to the job-seekers including helping them get discovered on job boards, social media boards, re-skilling though e-learning etc.
Formatting
An attractively formatted resume catches the eye. Some simple rules to follow:
• Use left margin justification i.e. keep all text in the main body left-aligned.
• Use single line spacing between the lines.
• Use straight lines to break sections and also to give an outline to the resume, if you wish to.
• Simple bullet points under each category head give a neat format.
• For a hard copy print on plain white or cream paper.
• A resume should ideally be two pages in length, and a cover letter strictly one page.
How to Write a Resume
Your resume is your marketing tool. It's a concise work history, list of accomplishments, and education that you present to a potential employer. Writing a resume takes time and attention to detail.
The way you lay out your resume is really a matter of preference, but keep in mind that you want it to be as easy to read as possible, so leave a lot of white space. Usually, one starts with their contact information at the top. Make sure all your contact information is correct.
Your contact information is usually followed by a short description of your qualifications or skills that can be applied to the position you are seeking. That is usually followed by your work history, then your education and any achievements or professional associations you below to.
Here are some ways to tackle each section of your resume.
Qualifications/Objective Statement:
Here's where you get to tell the employer what you'd like to do. Whatever the type of position you are seeking, make sure it's clear. Also, include experience and skills you've attained in your past work to show how you qualify. Here's an example: Seeking a sales management position that allows me to use my skills and experience in motivating staff, generating loyal customers, and project management to achieve and exceed XYZ Company's sales projections.
Job History:
Starting with your most recent position (including the job you have now, if applicable) list the jobs you've had in descending order. Make sure you list the title and the duration and dates you were employed at the company or organization.
Describe what your role was in the job. Use point form sentences or bullets and keep the phrases short and to the point. If you are a Team Leader in a call centre, your work history might look like this:
Call Centre Accounts Team Leader: January 2001-May 2005 in XYZ Company.
• Responded to escalated calls from XYZ company client’s regarding their accounts.
• Expedited requests for technicians to visit clients.
• Participated in in-house projects (testing of billing system and call back system.)
Call Centre Accounts Representative: June 1999-January 2001 in XYZ Company.
• Responded to calls from XYZ company clients. Evaluated which calls had to be escalated.
• Ensured that client database information was updated and accurate.
• Selected from a choice of 15 candidates and trained for team leader position.
Promoted January 2001.
Education:
Your education should be listed in reverse chronological order as well, with your most recent achievements at the top. Usually, your high school education doesn't need to be listed if you have post secondary education. If however, you are just entering the work world and don't have any completed post-secondary education, it's acceptable to list your high school education.
Professional Associations, Affiliations, Skills, Achievements:
If you belong to a professional association, make sure you list that on your resume. A professional association would be a group as it pertains to your work, like the registered _____ Association of India.
Usually, participation in groups that are personal or hobbies are not listed.
Make sure you also include a list of skills, such as your level of computer skills, and additional languages you speak.
Achievements you might want to include are any professional papers you've written, awards you've received, etc.
By presenting a resume that's easy to read, concise, and clear, you present yourself as a professional candidate. Remember to use a nice quality of plain paper, an easy to read font, and lots of white space on your resume.
Why Waste Time? What Not To Do When Sending In Your Resume
After employers have placed a job ad, they might have to go through hundreds of resumes to sort out which candidates they would like to interview. Why not give yourself a fighting chance by avoiding these pitfalls?
Not Qualified for the Job
Why apply for a job that you are not qualified for?
You shouldn't apply for a job when you do not have the essential skills being sought. Of course, if you have the skills, and are just shy some experience, you can certainly try. But if they are looking for someone with 5 years experience, and you only have 2 year's worth, you will likely not get the job. And that's wasting an employer's time & your time also.
Not Sure?
One of the biggest time wasters is people that apply for jobs they aren't sure they really want. When you apply for a job, whether through an employment agency, or through an employer directly, make sure you would be ready to take the job should it be offered to you. If you aren't, if you haven't talked to your family about it, or you aren't sure you're ready to leave your present employer, don't wait and see if they call you before deciding if you want the job. Of course, it's okay to change your mind later, but if you aren't sure in the first place, why waste their time?
Embellishments
You might not see it as lying, but essentially, it isn't too far off. Saying you are qualified at a certain aspect of the job requirement when you clearly aren't is a waste of time. We once had someone apply to us for a job that required French language skills who couldn't speak a word of French, despite his resume implying he could. Obviously on essential skills, you will likely get tested or evaluated somehow. Exaggerating to get a job is definitely not the way to go.
Confusing Resume
Nothing slows down an employer like having to figure out what the heck your previous job was, and reading through a 10 page resume. Some job titles aren't really clear, so make sure you explain what the major duties and requirements were of your past jobs, that way employers know what skills you have and what sort of work you can do. Your resume should be brief and to the point. It should not exceed two pages at the most. Avoid wordy paragraphs about your life goals. Your resume should tell the employer what you skills are and really, be a walking endorsement of your abilities, confidence, and previous experience.
Make sure there aren't any typos or spelling mistakes. Some common ones are "alot", "separately", and "definitely". Check with a dictionary if you aren't sure of a word before submitting your resume. If they hire you, you will be a reflection of the company and they will be looking for someone who presents an accurate, professional, and careful representative.
Applying Incorrectly
If an employer looking for email resumes says they don't want you to include an attachment but would rather see your resume in the body of an email message, why wouldn't you do that? Many companies won't open attachments for security reasons and when you are not following instructions on how to apply for a job, you are telling employers you don't care. It shows a lack of respect and an inability to listen to directions, two things employers are certainly not looking for. Take the time to find out how employers want you to apply for a position. Then follow the instructions. If your resume isn't properly formatted for an email message, do up a plain text version of your resume so that, you'll have it for those employers not wanting a Word version. If you can't follow simple application instructions, how will you be able to do the job?
Not following instructions, applying for a job you aren't qualified for, and having an unprofessional resume are all ways to indicate to an employer that you aren't really serious about applying for a job. Why not increase your chances of being hired by making sure you don't waste their time or yours?
Last-Minute Resume Checklist
You found the perfect job and you're ready to send off your resume. Before you do though, have a look at these five not-to-be-missed tips to ensure you get off to the right start.
• Spell-Check and Proof-Read:
You've heard it before, but you really can't forget to do this. Spell- checks your resume before you hit send. Re-read it carefully to ensure that you are using the proper words in the proper instances. Spell check doesn't necessarily catch the wrong use of words, like "it's and its" or "there and their." These can be accidentally interchanged and you end up with a resume that makes an unfavorable impression.
• Where Is It Going?
And to whom? Make sure you've got the correct contact information when you send in your resume. If you get it wrong, it may never make it into the right hands. Make sure you spell the recipient's name correctly. A lot of people get insulted when you spell their name wrong, and if they have a non-traditional way of spelling their name, and you get it right, they notice.
• Cover Letter:
A cover letter is essential. Think of it as introducing yourself. In your cover letter, make sure you describe some of your experience as it relates directly to the job advertisement. Make it short and sweet. Most employers just scan and read the important bits so make sure that whatever you write is need-to-know information. A resume without a cover letter shows you haven't put the time in to address each employer individually.
• Does it look good?
Take a quick look at your resume. Is it proportioned correctly? Is there white space evenly around it? Is the font clear and easy to read? Always use a simple font on clean and crisp white paper when printing up your resume. Make sure that if you use bullets to outline and show work experience that they are all aligned and are easy to read.
• Contact Info:
Make sure you make it easy for employers to reach you. Include your vital contact information like a phone number and e-mail address. If you are only reachable at your phone number in the evenings, say so. You don't want your potential employer trying to call you every day and not getting an answer. They will likely quit after a few days and move on to someone else. If you don't have email, get some. There are free services that you can sign up with like gmail that are perfect for the job hunt. Make sure you get an appropriate email address that is professional, like your first initial and last name. For the purposes of job hunting, avoid unprofessional email addresses like "coolboys@something" or ilovebirds@something. It does nothing for your job hunt.
Before you send out your resume, check out these tips to make sure you send out the best possible representation of yourself.
How to write a Cover Letter
Having a great cover letter is your first step in getting hired. It is the initial evaluation of your skills, your resume, and you as a worker and as a person.
Creating a great cover letter is easy if you know what you should focus on. Here are some things to remember when writing a cover letter.
• Break it Down:
Your cover letter should have three main thoughts. The first is to introduce yourself, and the position you are applying for. The second should be about your skills and how they can be applied to the company you are applying to and the third point should be a closing statement on your desire for an interview, etc.
In the first section, make sure it's clear right away what position you are applying for. Make sure that, along with the position, you list where you saw it advertised and include any reference numbers for the position. An example of this could be: "Please accept my resume as application for the position of Customer Service Manager (Job Reference # abc567) which was advertised in Daily Newspaper."
In the second section, focus on your skills and experience. Make sure you highlight the skills you have as they refer to the job advertisement. You don't need to include all your skills and experience, because you will be mentioning those in your resume. You don't want to overload the reader with non-essential information. Keep this section concise and crisp.
Tell the reader what you can bring to the company. Discuss your experience as it relates to the job advertisement. Make sure you remember to place emphasis on your skills that illustrate that this job is for you. But remember to keep it focused and not too long.
The final section of your cover letter deals with how they can contact you. Make sure you list the various methods of contacting you and that all your contact information is accurate.
• Keep it Simple:
Your cover letter should not include long paragraphs and complicated sentence structure. The HR person reading your cover letter may just briefly scan it, looking for key points of interest to see if you are qualified for the job, before they read your resume. If your important points are buried in long sentences, they will likely be overlooked. If you have a skill that's crucial to the job you are applying for, consider putting it in its own sentence so that it's easily seen by the reader.
The formatting should also be simple and easy to read. Remember, you are applying for a job and sending a business letter, so keep it professional looking by using a plain font on white paper.
• Keep it Short:
If your information is well written and concise, it will be easier to read. And that's the first step in getting hired. Keep your sentences focused and your writing clear. The maximum length of your cover letter should be one page - not a tightly-packed one page, but an easy to read with lots of white space, one page.
• Read it Over:
Is it friendly and clear? Will the reader be able to easily identify you as a great candidate? Have you included your key skills as they are identified in the job advertisement? Is it free of spelling mistakes? Have you taken the time to research who you should send the cover letter to and have you addressed it specifically to them? If you take care of these details, you will increase your chances of having your cover letter read. Remember as well, to tailor each cover letter to each job you apply to. Having a great cover letter will help you in your job search. It's the first thing a potential employer will see so make sure it's a great reflection of you and your skills.
Five Ways to Improve Your Resume
• Deciliter Your Resume:
Avoid long descriptions of jobs and experience. Format your resume so that you have as much white space around the text as possible. This makes reading your resume easier and quicker, a plus too busy HR professionals and recruiters. By increasing the white space on your resume, you make your content stand out more.
• Use Bulleted Points:
Using bullets or point form text in your resume makes it easier to read and encourages you to only list the important points of your past employment. Be concise with your information and highlight important qualifications as they relate to this position.
• Be Clear:
Clearly define what your job was using terms that are simple and easy to understand. Clarify by explaining any qualifications, spell out acronyms, and use common formats for any software you have experience with.
• Check Your Spelling:
Nothing shows lack of attention to detail like spelling mistakes or typos on your resume. By using a spell checker, you eliminate some of these, but make sure you give it a complete, thorough read-through because some words aren't caught by spell-checkers.
• Use an Easy to Read Font and Format:
Stick to the basics when creating your resume. Make sure the layout is broken down into appropriate sections, the font is easy to read at a glance, and that your font size isn't too large. Choose a good quality plain paper to print your resume on.