How to write resume

How to write a good resume for Interviews

Nov 11th, 2011
by roop.
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What is a ? The word “” is a French word meaning “summary”. A simple, well-organized profile of your and .  The  major part of the interview process would be how well you can make your to which the HR would be interested to see.

A resume is your calling for interview card when you apply for a . Usually, your resume has to sell an employer on giving you an interview. Interviews get the ; resumes can only get an interview. Very often, personnel people will prototype the interview on the resume they have received from you. Thus, it is essential that you have a resume and that it be a good one. (more…)

Internship resume – How to write a resume for intern positions?

Mar 18th, 2009
by admin.
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You will need a if you are looking for an and applying for the intern jobs. And remember your resume will be one of the deciding factor for getting a call for .

A well made resume, which identifies your goals, academic background, skills, experience (if any), and activities, is just as critical for the internship search as it will be for your search after you complete your education. A resume or CV which is for internship may not be very different from the one that you will use for a application – both in intent and content. However, you may include some information for the internship resume which you may not in your final resume for the search.

Structure of an internship resume:

  • Objective of Internship: Write your objective for internship (customize for internship you are applying)
  • Skills: Write your skill set (relavant to internship you are applying)
  • Relevant experience: Write your experience relevant for internship. This may be part time experience or other projects. Explain in detail.
  • Other experience: List the other experience (not related to internship being applied for). Be brief as this is not so relevant.
  • Education: (Reverse Chronological – include present course up to last semester)
  • Awards and Honors: (List any awards, honors, scholarships)
  • Extra curricular activities
  • References: Give some academic and if possible related industry references
  • Contact Information: (Name, Address, Phone, Email)

Some Tips for writing internship resume:

  • Tailor your resume for internship your are applying
  • Write tailored cover letter or email
  • Use ‘Reverse Chronological’ for education and experience
  • Keep the contact details latest (don’t miss that one call)
  • Propose your project while being flexible to change it if organization demands
  • Keep it short – 1 page resume and 5 line cover letter
  • Be prepared with your “Elevator Speech”

If you modify your resume based on tips above you will soon get the positive feedback from employers.

Best wishes for your internship!

Is your resume perfect? How to Audit your resume?

Mar 3rd, 2009
by admin.
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Curriculum Vitae (CV) or is a candidate’s first opportunity to give a message to a prospective employer about what you are. Hence it is important to make sure that applicants understand this and ensure that the message is conveyed. You must Audit your for the three critical areas always before applying for a job. In this post we will be talking about three audit areas for you to verify whether your gives you that added advantage over others which is required in the workplace these days.

Audit 1: Apples or Oranges – does your resume differentiates you?
When you are making your resume you have to make sure your resume stands out from the rest. Your resume should be of the type that is attractive to the eyes and ensures that the person evaluating it will want to read what is inside. Steroeotypes are out – creativity is in.

Audit 2: Are you hitting the dot or you are in circles?
There are two types of shooters – good shooters and bad shooters. Good are those who fire less bullets but hit the dot in middle. Bad one’s are those who waste the bullets in the circles around the dot. Have you written a resume which is too long and not to the point or concise. If yes it will be irrelevant to the person who will be evaluating. Note that your employer’s time is critical and you must realize that they have limited time to evaluate each resume. If your resume is showing your value in short and concise manner (short time for your employer) you  have made yourself shortlisted for an interview.

Audit 3: Is your resume general or is custom made for the job?
Do you have one resume that fits all? If yes you may be in trouble. A ‘one size fits all’ or ‘Readymade’ resume is not the best way to create the right impression on your employer. You have to make sure your resume is listing related work experience you have had in relation to the job you are applying for. So keep different versions of their CV for different job opening purposes and ensure that your resume is appropriate for the job you are applying. Some even argue that employers know that you have spruced up the resume – but they like the effort you have taken to tailor.

So next time you are applying for a job ask yourself these three “Resume Audit Questions”. For more tips and secrets to for your career success at work, click on links below of related articles. Careercola.com has only one objective – “to ensure that you manage your career successfully”.

Resume Writing Tips, Tips to write professional resume, Resume format, Sample Resume, Resume template, Resume Builder

Feb 23rd, 2009
by admin.
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Many articles are written on Writing Tips or how to write professional . Many candidates have questions regarding formats, sample , template, builder and taking professional help to write . Career Cola has compiled some do’s and don’ts of how to make a .

Do’s and don’ts of professional resume writing

Keep it to the point: Keep it brief, concise and relevant. Do not turn your resume into a tedious list of key responsibility areas. Many people even use their company jargon in writing a resume – avoid that. Instead tell the prospective employer how you made a difference to your last . You can provide specific examples of how the company you work for gained from your performance. You can also highlight any goals which you achieved ahead of time, or any special cost-cutting measures spearheaded by your department.

Your resume should answer the questions like – What special expertise did you bring to your current job? Highlight of any special praise, certificates of achievement presented to you or your department. What were the problems or challenges that you or the organisation faced? and what did you do to overcome the problems?

Not too short, Not too long: We recommend the complete length of your CV should not be more than 2 pages. Do not use long sentences and old-fashioned language. Instead use Bullet Points and modern formal language. Be specific and direct. Explain in a few crisp sentences what you do now, and what you aim to do in your new job.

Do not overuse personal pronouns: It is your CV and hence will be about you. But try to avoid using I, me, my in the CV too often and preferablly be avoided.

Relate your skills and abilities to your job history: Your resume should record your career progression. In the process you must link the skills to jobs done. Also highlight the skills that you now have and will be usefull to the job you are applying for.

Professional resume layout:
Here is the recommended resume layout:

  • Profile summary: Start with a profile section (detailing the scope of your experience, skill sets, key responsibility areas) in summary
  • Employment History in reverse chronological order (emphasizing achievements in the recent 5-10 years)
  • Education again in reverse chronological order (this might be moved to the top for fresh graduates)
  • Other topics such as professional affiliations, community activities, technical expertise, and languages spoken
  • Personal details should be at the end. However hobbies & other personal interests should only be included if they relate to the positions you’re interested in.

What to keep in mid while writing resume

Keywords: With most of the companies, recruiters and job portals companies using technology to store resumes, it has become important for a job seeker to include relevant industry keywords to be found in an applicant search. Do not make a separate section for keywords but you must use them throughout the resume. A good way to determine keywords is to search the leading job portals and read job descriptions for positions that interest you. Form here you can note the industry buzzwords and incorporate them into your resume.

References: Referees are people in responsible positions who refer you for the job and sometimes are the key to get a job. Always keep at least two good referees lined up but do not list them in the resume unless you are asked for them. You can write “reference available on request” in your resume.

Review your resume: Get your resume reviewed wither by some professionals or by your friends. And based on the feedback evaluate and make changes. Poor grammar and misspelled words may cause a potential employer to question your attention to detail and the quality of your work. Ensure that there are no Grammar & spelling mistakes. A thourough review will ensure that your resume is free from any errors.

How to Write an Effective Resume Cover Letter?

Oct 6th, 2008
by admin.
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You are looking for a or want to change a ? You may be sending the to various employers. One of the basic question asked many times by job seekers is

Do I need to send a cover letter? Is there someone who reads it?

Well – yes. There still are recruiters who read the cover letters. And why not be more conservative when applying for job. Work in a traditional manner and send a resume with cover letter.

What I should include in cover letter? How a is drafted?

A cover letter has five parts: Your address, Address of Employer, Subject & Reference, Body, and End. Here we will briefly discuss on each of these parts of a resume cover letter.

The resume cover letter begins with your address, telephone number and email at the top. Your contact information upfront is very of import and will be quick reference to employer to contact you.

The cover letter should have a clear mention of Subject and Reference. This saves the time and the person who is reading it will like it if the letter is with clear subject and reference. Subject can be like “Exploring the career opportunities with company_name in position_name” and reference should be the source from where you have come to know about the position.

Next you need to write the address of the individual whom you are addressing. Write a name only if you know whom you are applying. Use neutral words unless you are sure (like use Ms. Instead of Mrs). If the name of individual is not known address to the position – like “HR Manager”.

The body starts with salutation. If you are not sure who will be reading this make sure you use “Sir or Madam”. If know it is better to write a personalized letter salutation like “Dear Ms. Thomas”

The body can be divided into three parts – first paragraph shows your inclination to work for the company you are applying for. The second para should state briefly your for the position and why they shoud meet you over an interview. This is your opportunity to impress, write best about yourself, and give the reader the information they need to be convinced about your candidature for the said position. The third para should devote on your intention to apply for said position and an action message for the reader.

The letter should end with greetings followed by your name and signature at the bottom. The greetings should be personal as far as possible. Make sure you sign all letter personally.

What points I should keep in mind while formatting my letter?

Us a font which is not very big or very small. Preferably same in resume and cover letter. Use a conservative business font like Times New Roman, Ariel or Verdana. The text should be justified to make letter look even. Print the cover letter on a white paper in black ink.

A cover letter will show your personality to the employer. Make sure you use this tool in the best way.

Common questions about resumes

Sep 23rd, 2008
by admin.
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Many formats of resumes, many writers, many services … Well you are confused – and want to know what is best for you? In my professional life as a recruiter I have seen thousands of formats. With the large number of applicants most of the employers just evaluate resumes in a glance. Now in a series of articles we will be sharing some of the questions which candidates normally have and their answers.

How many variants of resumes should I have?

Most of us look for career options in various industries and functions. We recommend you use separate resumes for each industry and function. And sometimes even you may want to write a targeted resume for a company.We recommend that you should customize your resume to highlight the stuff that will impress your prospective employer.

How many pages my resume should have?

Ideally – one page and if you can not shorten the stuff – at the most two pages. Never use more than two pages. Now when you go down to write the one page resume you will come up with most relevant content for your target reader. If something is not important – it does not deserves the space in your resume. But do not try to reduce font to fit the stuff in one page – no font below 10 points is advisable.