Impress Employers with your Resume
Guide to Job-seekers: How to impress employers with your resume
Being in Recruitment & HR for more than 5 years now, I still don't understand why some applicants can't seem to spend some time to edit their resume or CV (Curriculum Vitae - a Latin expression which can be loosely translated as "the course of my life") prior to job application.
Skills are highly important - yes, I agree with you - but is your resume interesting enough to be carefully screened or does it call for some speed reading or perhaps, become scratch paper?
Your resume doesn't need to be printed on a glossy, scented and pretty paper nor should it need to be colorful and use different fonts and sizes to attract attention. It simply needs to capture the eye of the recruiter, the headhunter, the HR officer.
What job-seekers don't know is that the way data are presented on the resume can make them or break them. It could call for an initial interview or none at all. The organization of data is an important factor and which greatly emphasizes the job-seeker's skills, qualifications and sophistication level of the mind. What's that, you say? Sophistication of the mind is the term I use to classify every resume I'd get.
For me, there are 3 types of resume:
1. Bio-data format (just like meals being served in fast food chains, fast & easy service but quite unhealthy). If you're in such a hurry to create your resume, expect prospective employers to do just the same!
2. Overwhelming format (too much info can kill you). If you have graduated 15-20 years ago, do you think including taking part in the Math Quiz while you were in college can impress anybody now?
3. Eye catching format (just the right ingredients). If you boast of your skills and latest achievements without sounding too darn confident, then yes, you may just be considered for the post and an initial interview might be in the offing. Similar to cooking, you need to have all the right ingredients, spices, preparation and cooking time for it to result to an enjoyable meal.
What every job-seeker needs to do is to create at least 3 sets of resume. Based on his/her skills, edit each resume according to a top skill or set of skills. For example, first resume will have main emphasis on programming/technical lead, the other one on system analysis while the third will be on business requirements analysis. It must of course be truthful about one's skills, if not, you may get to the interview but will not pass with flying colors. Or you can opt to maintain just 1 but very powerful resume.
Here's how to create your very own powerful resume:
1. Edit your resume based on the position you're applying for. If you're in Information Technology, include every project you've handled for every company you have worked for.
2. Indicate your role in the project (PM, Team Lead, Technical Lead, Sr. Developer, Jr. Developer), platform, tools, programming languages and other related tools/software, number of people who worked on the project, title of the superior you reported to.
Moreover, it will be a sure hit if you will include a brief description of the project, the objectives, entire duration of the project (from design to deployment) and what has been achieved or contributed by you and/or your team.
Now, if you're an Outbound Sales Agent or a Telemarketer, sell your marketing skills! Market or sell yourself the way you would over the phone or through email blasting, internet marketing and social networking.
Use the power of the internet.
Indicate what you have sold, booked, achieved and/or sales leads you may have generated per company you've worked for. You can include what type of account/s (B2B, B2C, C2B, C2C) you have successfully handled, let them know that you can create your own telephone scripts or spiels and come up with your own marketing campaigns, strategies as well as design an effective telemarketing process & workflow to share and implement.
Use the power of words and make sure to list down all your duties and responsibilities. Many people take for granted the job description part which they don't know plays such an important part in determining if the job-seeker fits the requirements of the position. If it doesn't include the tasks/experience the employer prefer/require, then no interview will take place. As we all know, the 1st step will always be: getting invited to the initial interview. Then if you really have the skills, you're sure to get the job!
Being in Recruitment & HR for more than 5 years now, I still don't understand why some applicants can't seem to spend some time to edit their resume or CV (Curriculum Vitae - a Latin expression which can be loosely translated as "the course of my life") prior to job application.
Skills are highly important - yes, I agree with you - but is your resume interesting enough to be carefully screened or does it call for some speed reading or perhaps, become scratch paper?
Your resume doesn't need to be printed on a glossy, scented and pretty paper nor should it need to be colorful and use different fonts and sizes to attract attention. It simply needs to capture the eye of the recruiter, the headhunter, the HR officer.
What job-seekers don't know is that the way data are presented on the resume can make them or break them. It could call for an initial interview or none at all. The organization of data is an important factor and which greatly emphasizes the job-seeker's skills, qualifications and sophistication level of the mind. What's that, you say? Sophistication of the mind is the term I use to classify every resume I'd get.
For me, there are 3 types of resume:
1. Bio-data format (just like meals being served in fast food chains, fast & easy service but quite unhealthy). If you're in such a hurry to create your resume, expect prospective employers to do just the same!
2. Overwhelming format (too much info can kill you). If you have graduated 15-20 years ago, do you think including taking part in the Math Quiz while you were in college can impress anybody now?
3. Eye catching format (just the right ingredients). If you boast of your skills and latest achievements without sounding too darn confident, then yes, you may just be considered for the post and an initial interview might be in the offing. Similar to cooking, you need to have all the right ingredients, spices, preparation and cooking time for it to result to an enjoyable meal.
What every job-seeker needs to do is to create at least 3 sets of resume. Based on his/her skills, edit each resume according to a top skill or set of skills. For example, first resume will have main emphasis on programming/technical lead, the other one on system analysis while the third will be on business requirements analysis. It must of course be truthful about one's skills, if not, you may get to the interview but will not pass with flying colors. Or you can opt to maintain just 1 but very powerful resume.
Here's how to create your very own powerful resume:
1. Edit your resume based on the position you're applying for. If you're in Information Technology, include every project you've handled for every company you have worked for.
2. Indicate your role in the project (PM, Team Lead, Technical Lead, Sr. Developer, Jr. Developer), platform, tools, programming languages and other related tools/software, number of people who worked on the project, title of the superior you reported to.
Moreover, it will be a sure hit if you will include a brief description of the project, the objectives, entire duration of the project (from design to deployment) and what has been achieved or contributed by you and/or your team.
Now, if you're an Outbound Sales Agent or a Telemarketer, sell your marketing skills! Market or sell yourself the way you would over the phone or through email blasting, internet marketing and social networking.
Use the power of the internet.
Indicate what you have sold, booked, achieved and/or sales leads you may have generated per company you've worked for. You can include what type of account/s (B2B, B2C, C2B, C2C) you have successfully handled, let them know that you can create your own telephone scripts or spiels and come up with your own marketing campaigns, strategies as well as design an effective telemarketing process & workflow to share and implement.
Use the power of words and make sure to list down all your duties and responsibilities. Many people take for granted the job description part which they don't know plays such an important part in determining if the job-seeker fits the requirements of the position. If it doesn't include the tasks/experience the employer prefer/require, then no interview will take place. As we all know, the 1st step will always be: getting invited to the initial interview. Then if you really have the skills, you're sure to get the job!
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