Once you set that career wagon on the right track, there is no stopping it, but the setting up that carriage is perhaps the biggest challenge of our lives. Creating a lasting impression in the first interview is a very daunting task. Like they say, the first impression is the last impression and for any interview, the first impression is put forth by the resume or the Curriculum Vitae (CV). So how do you create a great resume?
1. Keep it simple:
In most cases, the interview panel will be short on time. Writing a complicated resume that seems to go on forever will make the interviewer ignore most of document. Always keep the CV simple and clean. Put out summaries of what you have done and not details. Details can be saved later for the actual interview.
If you have not had much experience, do not try to hide this fact in between words. The interviewers are very mature people and will break through your defenses. Only put down what you have actually done and are able to validate.
2. Select an appropriate design:
A design is a very important part of a resume. A mesh of complicated tables and paragraphs will only rub the interviewer on the wrong side. On the other hand having a résumé devoid of the appropriate header, footers and bullets will make it look bland and uninteresting. Select a design that is not overtly gaudy but at the same time is effective and simple.
3. Use effective headings:
Distribute you entire experience under effective headings. When a document is being scanned, headings help in bringing out the essence of the events to follow. Do not use bullets or numbers as headings. Every heading should be of 5 to 8 words which should summarize what you have done during that period.
4. Follow Chronology:
Many resumes that I have seen come in a very haphazard fashion. There is the summary first, then education, then the part time work, more education, contact information, etc. It is very frustrating for the interviewer to go though a muddle trying to find the valuable information. Help the resume scanner to find things more easily by following a chronology. Start with a summary, then go to the latest job information and traverse backwards, cover education likewise and finally provide your contact information. The interviewer thus knows what to expect next.
If you are still a fresher and do not have much experience to share, no problem! Simply put down your part time work, your projects and your education in proper order.
5. Contact information:
Many of the job hopefuls have a cover letters and put out their contact information there. But suppose someone in the panel is careless enough to ignore the cover letter or to misplace it, it would be a catastrophe. No one knows how to contact you. Even if you have passed the interview, there is no contact information in the CV.
A best practice would be to have a separate section in the resume that lists out all your contact information, preferably in this order:
- Address.
- Telephone number and mobile number.
- Email.
Before we move on to advanced techniques and good formatting practices, it is absolutely essential to get the basics correct. Create a foolproof resume and be assured that you will be noticed. How you impress the interviewer will be something that will be entirely up to you. Best of Luck!
