THE ART OF WRITING A GOOD RESUME

WHAT IS A RESUME ?

• Resume is an advert for you• An opportunity to sell yourself to potential

employers• Resume is the first step in the recruitment

process so it has to be right

PART - 1 THE STRUCTURE

1. Personal Details

• You don't need to write 'Curriculum Vitae' at the top of your CV or Resume

• Make sure your name appears at the top and is in a larger font than the rest of your CV

• All you need to include is your home address and contact information

• Don't include a novelty email address - boozyfloozy@hotmail.co.in doesn't sound very professional.

2. Career Aim/Personal Statement

• Optional but if you do include it, make sure it isn't vague or generic .

• Keep it brief (three or four lines max) .• Demonstrate your career focus.• Evidence of two or three main strengths and

where they were developed.• Tailored to the role and company you're

applying to

3 . Education and Qualifications

• Start with your most recent education • University qualifications will be of more

interest • Include the dates, name of university/s,

degree title e.g. BA (Hons) Philosophy, and the grade you are expecting or have achieved.

• Include any modules you studied that are relevant to the job application .

• Dissertation research or project work.• For school education, include dates, name of

school/college and A-Levels or equivalent qualifications studied with grades.

• Unless specified, it is not necessary to list every subject studied at GCSE or equivalent level. The number of passes achieved is enough but state the grade you got for Mathematics and English.

4. Work Experience

• This is where recruiters will focus most of their attention

• Employers are realistic about the fact that students and recent graduates have mostly done part-time jobs that may not relate to the career you want to pursue. However, employers will still expect you to be able to show the responsibilities and skills you got out of your work experience.

• If you have very relevant experience in the career field you are applying to e.g. an internship with a company, you may wish to include this first under a separate heading such as “Relevant Work Experience” and list less relevant jobs under “Other Work Experience”.

• Remember, employers are looking for the skills you have used and developed, and more specifically they are identifying links between your experience and skills and the requirements of the job.

5. Activities/Interests/Positions of Responsibility

• They demonstrate that you are motivated to pursue other activities and are a well-rounded individual.

• extra-curricular, significant involvement in the Student Union, organizing events in a social or sporting club, etc.

• Stating your interests doesn't mean just writing a list. indicate your level of involvement and what you gain from the activity.

6 . Additional Information • Languages

indicate your native language and any additional languages you know accompanied by your level of proficiency.

• Skillsanything vocational ,for example, IT skills and driver’s license. List the software packages and applications you use and your level of competency for each.

• Conferencesyou may want to mention any relevant conferences, workshops or seminars you have attended. Give the name of the conference, date, place and organizers.

7. References

• A simple "References available on request" is acceptable.

• Give the details of two referees: one academic and one employer.

• Give their names, position, address, phone numbers and email addresses.

• Ask for their permission first

PART – 2 Some golden rules

Tailor your CV or Resume to the role advertised

• Highlight different aspects of your skills and experience.

• Relevant skills and experience required for the job role.

• Specific to that organization and job vacancy.• Emphasize your suitability to the company

Make your RESUME concise

• Resume is a tool to get you an interview, nothing more . interview is where you have the opportunity to explain in detail

• Using bullet points can force you to write shorter, more pithy sentences that will grab the reader's attention

• straight to the point

Do your research• you must research the organization and the

job role before you apply• gives you a better perspective on the type of

applicant the employer is looking for• demonstrates that you are keen and have a

conscientious attitude.

Check, check, and check again!

• Easy to make simple grammatical and spelling errors

• Don’t rush your resume .• Print your resume on paper• Should get friends or family to proof-read

your or Resume

Account for gaps• Unaccounted for gaps in education or career

history must be explained or the reader may think you're hiding something

• Being in full-time Higher Education does not count for a 'gap' in your CV.

Make your interests, interesting

• Instead of listing activities in a dull, non-descriptive way such as "reading", be more specific and say "reading Russian history“

• Employers want to know that you are a rounded individual

Get feedback

• Before you send your CV or Resume, get feedback from your friends and family. People close to you know your strengths and may be able to help if you are under-selling yourself.

PART - 3What not to write on your Resume

• Never lie• Don't be verbose• Don't use jargon or abbreviations• Don't include a photo (unless asked)• Don't mix your tenses• Avoid writing in the first person

PART - 4

USE OF ACTION WORDS

• Using active, positive verbs and language in a Resume can give it additional impact and make a stronger impression on potential employers. The use of 'power' or action words in your Resume is essential to promoting your skills and experience.

PART – 5 THE LAYOUT

• if your CV or Resume is poorly displayed then employers will find the information difficult to find.

• Resume doesn't have to look like its been graphically designed (unless you are applying for creative or design jobs)

• the simpler the layout of your CV, the better

FONT

• a standard font like Times New Roman, Arial or Verdana is best .

• easy to read and non-fussy or you will frustrate anyone trying to read

• The size of the text will depend on the font you have chosen, however, the size of normal text should be between 10 and 12

Subheadings

• Personal Statement / Career Aim (optional) • Education & Qualifications • Work Experience / Career History / Employment

History • Key Skills / Other Skills / Additional Information

(optional) • Professional Training / Professional Development

(optional) • Interests / Activities / Positions of Responsibility • References / Referees

Length of your CV• Resume should not exceed two pages• Sometimes employers will ask specifically for

a one-page summary CV. This means that the employer is only looking for information that is relevant to the position.

Consistency

• The style and format of your CV should remain the same throughout.

• This includes font used, heading size and arrangement of text.

• When using tabs, keep the positioning of these uniform throughout.

Use bullet points

• Using bullet points in your CV will help you to write concise sentences and will focus the readers attention.

Use good quality, white paper

• If you are sending your CV or Resume by post, ensure that you use good quality, white paper. Unless you are applying for a design job – there is no need to print your CV on coloured paper.

THANK YOU