How To Prepare A Resume

A resume is just a simple document that talks about your achievements and work experience, but can play a key role in defining your success at getting a job. When you decide to get a new job, the very first thing you do is to circulate your resume to all the potential employers. The resume contains a summary of your academic history, achievements and work experience, which happen to be the important things any employer looks at. There are no rules that have been laid down for resumes, so it is important that you conform to popular practices that are accepted by employers. Before you get onto the tips, keep in mind that the last thing you want to do is to have your resume put people to sleep. Having a resume that leaves a person in the dark, even after they have read it thrice about you can be just as bad.

Preparing A Resume
Now that we are clear on the importance of the resume, let us explore some tips on how you can make an impact with your resume.

• Before you start writing the resume, collect all the information (dates, certificates, names, phone numbers, etc).
• The best way to organize all the information would be to follow a time line. Mention your schooling first, then your college education, after which you can mention any other degrees you have done. Once this is over, mention any certification courses that you have attended.
• When you begin to put the information in your resume, it would be wise to understand the job and the qualifications required. This will help you decide on which of your skills to concentrate on.
• You can make the key skills bold to make them stand out.
• If the name of your previous organization does not indicate its purpose, include a brief about the company.
• Make sure that you don’t start writing a novel. A long resume can put the potential employer to sleep. Stick to the essential information only, and try to be brief with the explanation.
• The objective you mention in the resume should be very specific. If you don’t want to mention one then you can avoid putting it in.
• Proofread the resume once you are done preparing it and make sure you correct any and all grammatical errors and typos.
• Don’t use ‘I’ or ‘my’ in the resume.
• Make sure that you provide your contact information (Phone numbers, email addresses and postal address) clearly.
• When you are dealing with official correspondence, it would be wise not to have email ids that sound casual ([email protected]). Try to keep the email id formal by choosing your name as the id ([email protected]).
• ‘Do not’ lie about anything on your resume. If you are caught even for a small lie like a false hobby, it will create a negative impression on the employer and they might not consider you for appointment.
• Putting the text in a highly stylized font would not be wise either. Let the font be a normal one. Consider using ‘Arial’ or ‘Times New Roman’ and make sure that the entire resume is in the same font.
• Try to keep the formatting (space between lines, words and tables) even, and don’t ever put the text in capital letter unless the situation demands it.