Resume Writing

One of the most important factors for landing a job is your resume. It is often the first impression that a potential employer has of you. Therefore your resume must capture the employer’s attention within 30 seconds. Because he is normally flooded with resumes. Remember your resume does not get you the job. It is the interview that gets you the job. The resume gets you the interview call.

Here are some dos and don’ts for a resume that registers.

DOs

• Keep it concise. But mention all details relevant to the job. Your work experience must be mentioned in detail along with all machinery, tools, systems, etc. that you have handled or are familiar with.
• Leave spaces between your experiences for easier reading.
• Use a logical order or arrangement to make it easy to follow and read.
• List your education first.
• Always mention your telephone number for easy accessibility.
• Avoid verbose language, poor grammar, spelling errors, overuse of the same adjectives or verbs.
• Keep description clear and to the point.
• Use a laser printer and traditional type fonts like Times-Roman, Arial or Palatino. Align your resume properly. Headings should advisably be in bold type.
• Qualify and quantify what you have to offer to the organization.
• Include as much work information as possible. The information must be regarding the job applied for.
• Avoid personal information like height, weight etc.
• Print your resume on conventional white paper.
• Be honest. Never lie or ‘pad’ the truth about your job duties or over stretch your accomplishment.
• Keep the resume employer centered.
• Be prepared to back up all your resume notations with proof at the time of interview.

DONTs

• Do not clutter up your resume with too much unnecessary information.
• Do not lie about your experience or accomplishments. If the boss finds out that you have fabricated your experience and accomplishments, after hiring you he could sack you.

Writing your resume will not be a daunting task if you follow the above principles.