Resume & Cover Letter
How to make a perfect CV? From a good file name to formatting to keywords for robot-friendly resumes
You have been looking for a good job for a while. You have all the qualifications and skills, but not getting calls from employers? Or you have all the skills and grades needed for that college, still couldn’t get through? If this sounds familiar, then you may definitely need to upgrade or revise your curriculum vitae (CV) or resume.
Your resume is the first insight or impression from the potential employer’s perspective. It is absolutely necessary to make your resume strong and increase your chances of selection.
“While it is important to catch an eye, it is far more important to have substance and even more credibility. It can get you a seat on the table, but won’t get you through the door of the organisation,” said Aayush Gupta, marketing head of Uplers, an outsourcing agency for tech services like web development, UI/UX. Your resume can make you stand out among the crowd.
Nowadays, companies are using advanced technology softwares to help the human resources (HR) team to shortlist the candidates. One must tailor-make resumes to suit the profiles of the job they are applying for. It is of utmost importance to include important keywords in a resume that could help in tracking systems to choose the right candidate.
These are the important aspects to be considered, according to Surekha Shetty from the office of career advancement and networking at Alliance University in Bengaluru --
1.Credibility
One shouldn’t lie on their resumes. Your resume is a set of claims that you make and so one is accountable for them. Make sure that whatever you write, you can easily back up when the discussion around them comes up.
2. Highlight achievements and results
Students who recently graduated must focus on their academic/non-academic achievements accompanied by description.
3. Formatting
A poorly formatted resume definitely reduces the chances of getting hired or getting selected. Punctuation errors, misspelled words or uneven use of font are generally frowned upon by employers or selection committees. Proofreading your resume before sending it out is advised to all the seekers.
4. Robot-friendly resume
As technology is taking over the manual work of sifting through piles of resumes, students and professionals should focus on structuring their resumes that meet the criteria of the tracking device. Ensure using optimised or relevant keywords.
For example — If one is applying for the job role of a software engineer, use words like ‘programmer’ or ‘developer’ or skills that describe a software engineer. Different companies may use different words to describe a specific job description, so choose the most appropriate words and incorporate them intelligently in your resume.
5. Memorise your resume
Candidates should be well-aware of the points mentioned in their resumes as the interviewer may ask you any potential question directly through your resume. Additionally, one should also at least prepare supporting details for each point in order to pass the interview.
Writing a resume is itself an art or can say a specialisation. All the employers or selectors evaluate resumes on the basis of quality. As a limited amount of time span is given to each resume, one should ensure that the length of your CV does not exceed more than two pages. Interviewers just take a scan of 5-10 seconds and look for certain relevant information.
These are the things that should be mentioned or highlighted in your resume as suggested by experts —
1.File name
It may sound funny or weird, but the file name plays a big role. We all know that resumes are saved in folders, desktops or storages, file name is the first word the interviewer reads. For instance, a file named ‘Resume pdf’ or ‘My Resume’ may not be clear, it may be referred further or may be not, but a file named ‘Vaamanaa_Sethi_HR_Leader. Pdf’ can make a high impact on the recruiter as the message will be loud and clear to the recruiter.
2. Introduction
In order to prioritise, freshers and professionals must start with introducing themselves including their personal details like name, coordinates and location, followed by a few lines on the career so far. An introduction on career gives the interviewer an idea whether you are fresher or experienced professional.
3. Objective
A clear objective shows a purpose. It can clearly lead to a starting point of any discussion with your interviewer. It could very well give a good opening to the discussion. Your objective should not only remain in your resumes, but also be reflected in your discussion.
4. Experience and educational background
One should mention their prior working experience including internships and projects in which they were involved. It will definitely define your key result areas (KRA) and transitions. Make it credible and one shouldn’t attempt to make it larger than your actual role.
Relevance of the job requirement with your education can bring you in front of the queue especially when there are hundreds of other applicants. You should briefly list down your educational qualifications after mentioning your work experience. Extracurricular activities and achievements should also be included.
5. Skills
At a certain point, your skills matter more than your qualifications. If you possess the skills which are required for the job, your CV should shout it out loud, including relevant skills can boost your chances of being shortlisted.
