5 MUST HAVES & MUST DOS IN ANY RESUME!

It is no secret that a sure shot way to get an interview for that much coveted dream job is a strong resume. If one cannot nail the resume, whose sole purpose is to get you an interview, the said dream job is almost impossible to get!  And thus I am sure many of you have wondered, as have I, about what it is that one definitely needs to have on their resumes to ensure a solid chance at an interview. As we all know, when it comes to anything related to careers or jobs, there is never enough advice and people are ever ready to get tips and tricks to help get that dream job. While the internet is full of a billion advice for you to nail the resume, here I am with just five simple pointers for an efficient resume.

1.    Keep it Easy on the eyes

In a job market where there are so many applicants for one job vacancy, it is extremely critical that your resume is read and a resume that is difficult to read almost always remains unread. Thus it is extremely important that a resume is easy on the eyes. Here are a few tips to make sure your resume is easy to read.

• Your resume should have an easy-to-read font and a font size between 10 and 12 pt
• While there is no page limit for resumes these days, it is best if you avoid too many long paragraphs and make bullet points – too much text tends to leave the reader dazed
• There should be ample space between sections to demarcate them
• Use underlining and bold formatting of words and phrases to let the reader know what you want them to read

It is generally advised to use a block format for writing most applications.

 2.    Make sure it is relevant 

An efficient resume is one that can clearly communicate the position towards which it is targeted. Lack of focus in a resume results in the hiring manager not seeing the connection between your skills and qualifications and the requirement of the job. Thus a resume that has focus with clear indication of the experiences and accomplishments relevant to the position is a powerful one. 
It is advisable to remove anything that is not in line with one’s career goals or job requirement. Its best to support your resume with a targeted cover letter. Click here to find relevant cover letters for your application.

3.    Use the right keywords

Be it manually by hiring managers or through online applicant tracking software, resumes are often scanned quickly to select good, relevant resumes from a pile of many! So it’s always advisable to have a resume that is keyword rich. Keywords are small words which communicate important information about your resume. They help in ensuring your resume reflects both – skills required for the position and the skill you possess. Keywords are the best the way to ensure you survive the scanning process.

4.    Select the Best Resume Format

A resume has a lot of information and so it is important that all this information is laid out in a way where experiences and skills relevant to the position are noticed first. Typically a hiring manager scans the resume for 8 to 10 seconds and so it is advisable to prioritize and highlight relevant skills and experience so that they can see that your accomplishments support the job requirements. It is also a good idea to start bullet points describing your accomplishments by describing the result achieved followed by how.

5.    Seek other’s Opinions

Last but not the least, always get a second or third (preferably professional) opinion about the resume. Other opinions are often unbiased and can point out issues in the resume that would otherwise go unnoticed by you. Professional opinions are the best since they know exactly what hiring managers look for in a resume and give direction and tips to make sure your resume gives you the maximum possible benefits and bags you that interview!

I hope that helped. Stay tuned to this spot for more tips and tricks for an awesome resume! 

Apart from this what you write in your email or application letter to the HR enclosing your resume also makes a huge impact. We have loaded this website with lots of relevant content to help you job applications. And if you want to share something go ahead use the comment section below to help fellow job seekers.

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The Difference between a Resume, a CV and a Biodata

As a business student currently facing the placement season, I sometimes feel that people expect me to know a lot more than I actually do especially when it comes to resumes or CVs and applying to jobs. While that is true most of the times, there have been times where some very basic and simple questions have stunned me into silence. For instance, when asked the difference between a resume, a CV and a biodata, for the world of me I could not think of any differences! 

I am sure many of you too must have been in this spot where you were completely stumped because you had no answer. Somewhere deep inside you know these are different types of letters, but you just can’t articulate what it is. Well, there is quite a bit of difference among the three and this article is dedicated to ensure no one is ever in this spot again!

Resume: The word “resume” is French for “summary” or “summarized” and a resume is quite literally just that – a summary of one’s work experience, education and skills. A resume is generally about a page long. It is said that a resume helps in getting one till an interview while it is the C.V. that aids one through the interview. We will talk about the C.V. after this. Since a resume is short, one tends to highlight specific skills and experience that would be relevant to the job they are applying to.

C.V.: C.V. is short for curriculum vitae. It is a Latin word meaning “course of life”. While the resume was a terse description of one’s education, skills and experience, a C.V. is a more detailed description of the same. It is generally 2-3 pages long and can even be longer – there is no word or page limit for a C.V.

It essentially captures everything a person has undergone and achieved be it education (like courses taken, honours or awards won for excelling at a particular subject, research papers written) employment (positions held, projects undertaken, appreciation for excellent work received) or skills (highlighting particular skills or talent that would help in doing well in the job). A C.V. generally also includes personal information like parent’s name, date of birth, address etc.

While both C.V.s and resume are used for applying to new jobs or job switch, the C.V. is also used for academic purpose in European countries, especially the UK and in the USA as well. While the UK C.V.s are generally shorter and more like the resumes, in USA C.V.s are expected to be longer and more detailed. In India, resumes and C.V.s are essentially the same. They are used as synonyms. Both resumes and C.V.s are typically used to screen applicants for a potential job opening.

Biodata: Biodata stands for “biographical data” and is an Indian concept especially used especially during marriage proposal talks. It includes anything and everything under the sun about the applicant – starting from personal information like age, gender, height, weight, religion etc, to education, employment, salary etc. While biodata is often used for application for Government jobs, it is not popular in the international circle where personal information about the candidate is not required.

Well, I hope this article cleared the eternal confusion of Resume vs CV vs Biodata!

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The Client to Business Letter Format

Business Letter Formats vary significantly based on the author and the intended recipient of the letter. Not only does the structure and format of the business letter change but also the tone and language used to write the letter changes. These letters are addressed to a superior or to a higher office within or outside your organisation. The tone is generally kept assertive, formal and the letter serves the purpose of putting up your case for consideration in some matter of importance to you.

A typical client to business type letter is made up of three main parts in which the client or the applicant presents his or her case for consideration. These letters are mostly written in the Block Format for Business Letters and may be emailed or personally delivered. The letters that come under this category are as follows.

Application Letters

Application letters are business letters requesting action in response to a request made via the letter. Most of will write several application letters during our professional life but carefully formatting your application letters will lead to better results and you just might get that well deserved vacation leave approved. Typical application letters range from Job application letters, leave application letters of simply application for a transfer or a recently opened position within your organisation.

Resumes

When you are looking for a new job or simply want to stay competitive, it is very important to format a perfect resume. Your resume is your passport to a well deserved job opening. It is usually the first screening barrier to cross in order to get you job application in front of the interview panel. Check out the latest resume formats suited for your level of experience.

Know the difference between a Resume, CV and a Bio-data  

Curriculum Vitae – Popularly known as CVs

When you are fresh out of college and looking for your first job, your curriculum vitae tells the recruiter about your achievements in college and why giving you a break will be a right decision for the organisation. CV Formats are meant to give a brief snapshot of your professional accomplishments and trigger a conversation about how your skills will make profit for your potential employer.

Cover Letter Formats

While a Resume or a CV is all about you, a Cover Letter is about your potential employer, more precisely, about how you are the best candidate for the current position at the organisation. A Cover Letter accompanying your job application and resume goes a long way in improving your chances of landing that job ahead of your competitors. Cover Letters are always customized and written in response to a vacancy. Check out the best Cover Letter Formats here.

Statement of Purpose

This is generally writing along with an university application or for the purpose of higher education or internal assessments. Increasingly many institutes ask applicants to submit a statement of purpose or an essay or argument analysis to evaluate the individual’s acumen to reason and analyse a given situation.

Letter of Reference or Recommendation

As you grow in your career, so does your network and this network is your greatest advertisement dossier. Many employers will ask for a reference letter or a letter of recommendation from your previous manager for professor at the university to evaluate your past performance. And many ask you to recommend them too. Check out formats for both here.

Is there anything that we missed or if there is a particular business letter format that you want us to cover, do let us know via the comments section below.

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