Well begun is half done. Review on Tips for Writing the Perfect CV

Preparing a good CV (Curriculum Vitae) is the first step in communicating who and what you are to a prospective employer. It is an instrument that highlights a person’s educational and professional details and aids in selling their skills and capabilities to an organisation. While there is no tried and tested formula for a perfect Resume, there certainly are recommended guidelines which help in drafting one.

I’m no HR expert myself when it comes to matters concerning drafting resumes or giving tips for interviews. However, I’ve seen hundreds of resumes, both from the applicants’ as well as the employers point of view and have mentally noted down some of their important aspects over the years. I’ll broadly cover the structure and contents of various sections of the Resume and general “Do’s and Don’ts” to be followed.

Structure

1. Heading

This should comprise your name, address, contact numbers and e-mail address. The name may be in bold and in a slightly bigger font size than the rest of the text. If you are applying in response to an advertisement, mention the position applied for clearly. If you are applying in general to a company even if it hasn’t advertised for a vacancy and have no clear idea of its organisational hierarchy, its best to leave this space blank. As for the address and contact telephone numbers, its best to give them of your permanent place of residence.

1. Career Objective

One of the most important components of a Resume, this should broadly lay out in about 4-5 sentences your career goals/objectives. Most prospective employers make up their mind about the applicant by going through this alone. Apart from stating the career goals, you can also include your professional strengths and say how you feel that these might be useful to the company. Important as it is, this is also often the most neglected part of a resume and most people end up copying it from others. I personally know of an instance where two people had copied this paragraph word for word from a third guy and all three ended up appearing before the same interview panel on the same day! No second guesses...none of them landed the job.

1. Work Experience

if you have some work experience (more than 1 year), put those details before the educational qualifications and vice-versa. Educational proficiency and qualifications count a lot only till one lands the elusive first job. Then onwards, it is sheer work experience that gets a heavier weightage vis-a-vis education. Under experience, start off with the current/latest job giving details of the company name, a line or two about the department working in, time spent in the job, job responsibilities, nature of work and specific achievements or commendations received, if any (promotions, financial rewards, etc.). If you know the position that you are applying for, tailor this section to suit the requirements of the job. Give adequate details that the prospective employer may want and make him feel that you are well suited for the job. Keep the sentences small, informative and crisp. Don’t overstate your job responsibilities or experience - be truthful in what you write.

1. Educational Qualifications

Here again, start off with the last degree/qualification obtained and move backwards in a chronological sequence. Mention the name of the degree, the institute from where it has been completed, period of study, percentage of marks/CGPA secured, subjects of specialisation and details of project work done. In case you have done other professional courses (either full/part time) which you feel have a direct bearing on the job that you are applying for, highlight them.

1. Personal Details

This is a general section that contains the mundane personal information like Date of Birth/age, hobbies/interests, proficiency in computers, etc. If the job that you are applying for specifically asks for your marital status or willingness to travel extensively, mention that too.

1. References

Include atleast two references in your resume. Ideally, they should be prominent persons (need not be the PM, can be your current boss though) who have a good and honourable standing in the society or industry. Apart from lending a degree of credibility to the claims made in your resume, it also shows that you have good connections in the industry. Along with the name of the reference person, also give his/her address, position and company working for and their contact numbers. If you are a fresher and do not have too many contacts within the industry, mention the names of your professors (Dean or Head of Dept.) from your college.

General Do’s and Don’ts

1. Make it relevant – Most employers try to identify whether or not the candidates profile matches with the job profile. Therefore, provide all relevant details of your past and present experience clearly specifying the achievements, if any. Employers often look out for the responsibilities handled in previous jobs. If you have worked in more than one job, your profile should clearly show an increased responsibility as you progress with the jobs.

   
   




2. Keep it clear and concise - An employer often looks for clarity and the manner in which the resume has been presented for it speaks a lot of the individual traits of the candidate. Deal in detail about sections that are more relevant to the current job application. Lay stress on quality of what you present rather than quantity in terms of unduly projecting yourself as the only one born for that job.

   
   




3. Formatting and Presentation - Make it visually pleasing by using bullets (try to stick to only one kind of bullet style) and numbers wherever required. Remember that this is a resume, not a PowerPoint presentation. Flashy pictures, fonts and bullets are a strict taboo. Pasting a passport size photograph of your head shot on the face of the resume is welcome. Keep the tenor professional and ensure a continuous and logical flow of information. Do watch out for grammar and spelling mistakes, I’m sure you wouldn’t want the employer to think that you have just completed your standard One!

   
   




4. Words to avoid - Avoid using words like “I think”, “I feel”, “i have exposure to” and “i have knowledge of”. These terms only show that you are not sure of what you want to express and might therefore get you negative marks in the overall selection process. Use words that express confidence and give the right picture about you.

   
   

Apart from serving as an invaluable screening tool, the resume also doubles as a reference point for the prospective employers if they decide to call you for an interview. Be therefore, thorough with each and every word that you’ve put in the resume. Presenting a well-drafted resume is half the work done when on the lookout for a new job. I’ll deal with the other half – “Successfully tackling an interview” in another review.